Of Love and War
by Alwayssg1
Summary: This is my version of how the Jack and Sam from There but for the Grace of God met, fell in love, and got engaged.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Stargate. I just play with them when it suits me.

* * *

The excitement in the room was palpable. They'd done it. After years of research by some of the brightest minds on the planet, the team of scientists under Dr. Catherine Langford had finally figured out how to dial the stargate and they currently had an active wormhole open to some place unknown. Besides Catherine, no one was more excited than Dr. Samantha Carter. Using the writings of a highly ridiculed Dr. Daniel Jackson, she had finally figured out the missing piece to the puzzle.

As Sam accepted the glass of champagne from General West's hand, he patted her on the back. "You've done some amazing work, Dr. Carter. I'll be honest, I didn't think this day would really come, but you've done it."

"Thank you, sir," Sam said with a megawatt smile. "It's been a privilege to work on Dr. Langford's team."

"She's a brilliant woman, without a doubt," the general said with a nod, "but Catherine and I have been discussing the next step. We are sending a special ops team through the gate. If there are aliens on the other side then a threat assessment is crucial. Of course, we would prefer this not to be a one way mission, so we need someone from this team to accompany them. Catherine wants that person to be you. Are you interested?"

Sam's eyes got wide. Was she interested? She was a theoretical astrophysicist who'd dreamed of nothing but the stargate from the moment she learned of its existence. "Yes, sir. I'd be honored."

"Good, good. It may be dangerous. I'm not going to lie, you wouldn't have been my first choice. If you hadn't been the one to put the final piece in place, I likely would have chosen Dr. Farmer or Dr. Harris. Not that I doubt you can handle yourself but you are a very intelligent, brilliant scientist. If you don't make it back, it will be a great loss," General West said with a smile, "so, do the world a favor and come home safely."

"Yes, sir."

"One more thing," the general said in a bit quieter tone, "I have a retired colonel in mind for this mission. He was black ops and he's a bit of a loose canon. I want him to lead the mission. I need you to help bring him in please. He's going to be a bit hard to handle. I'll level with you. He's not very stable emotionally at the moment. His son died and he and his wife recently filed for divorce."

"Are you sure he could handle a mission like this one?"

"For what I'm looking for, he's perfect. His name is Colonel Jack O'Neill. I've worked with him in the past. He was good at his job. Under different circumstances, I would send one of my officers after him, but I think you'll be more likely to get him intrigued by the possibility. He likes to play dumb, but I happen to know he's a closet astronomer. If he finds out what is really happening, he will be interested. He is at a cabin in Minnesota. It's pretty out of the way. You have my permission to brief him on the stargate there. He's a lot of things, but he's no security risk." He handed Sam the address. "I'd appreciate it if you'd leave first thing tomorrow."

"Yes, sir. I'll do my best."

"That's all I'm asking. I have a hunch it'll be more than enough."

Sam opted to drive her volvo to Minnesota. She left early in the morning and arrived in the vicinity pretty late that evening. Not wanting to disturb a total stranger late at night, especially one she needed to impress and convince to come back from retirement, she opted for a motel room in town. Before leaving the base, she'd looked up his file. Most of it was redacted but she was impressed by what she read. If they ran into trouble on the other side of the gate, they needed a man like Jack O'Neill. She practiced her speech a few times that night and again in the car the next morning when she was driving to his home.

The cabin was picturesque. Sam was immediately drawn to the beautiful scenery around the small cabin. It reminded her a bit of a cabin her father had rented for a week when she was ten. He was a busy Air force officer. When he would finally get a chance to take some leave time, he usually tried to do something special with his family. The cabin trip was probably Sam's favorite of their little excursions. Of course, those trips ended with her mother's death. Now, Sam rarely saw her father or her brother Mark. Even if she could tell them what she'd been working on at the mountain, she doubted they believe her. Of course, right now, she was more concerned about getting Colonel O'Neill would believe her.

Sam knocked on the door about eleven in the morning. No one answered the door, but a slurred voice from behind the door shouted, "Whatever your selling, I'm not interested. Go away."

Sam knocked again and a very drunk man with at least 3 days of stubble on his face jerked the door open. "I said I'm not intere-" he stopped talking and eyed her from her head to her feet before continuing, "well, maybe I'm a little interested. Who are you?"

Well, this was unexpected. He was stinking drunk, heavy on the stinking part. And, was he actually leering at her? Her prepared speech went out the window. This could not be the man General West wanted to lead the expedition. There was no way he was the right man for the most exciting breakthrough in history. "I, um, I think I have the wrong address. I'm looking for Colonel Jack O'Neill."

"Retired Colonel Jack O'Neill," Jack said overly enunciating the word retired.

This was not good. "My name is Dr. Samantha Carter. General West sent me."

"I already told the air force no shrinks," Jack said as he started to closed the door.

Sam quickly put her foot inside the doorway to stop it from closing completely. "I'm not a psychiatrist. I'm an astrophysicist."

Jack looked puzzled then retorted, "well, I don't think I need one of those either so unless West sent you to, um-" Jack waggle his eyebrows a bit and looked a bit further down her body than her face as he spoke.

"No, General West most certainly did not send me to do anything like that Colonel O'Neill. I'm her on professional business. I'd suggest you invite me in then show me where your coffee maker is so I can start a pot while you take a shower."

He looked up at her eyes with a bit of a mortified expression before stepping aside and waving her into the room. Well, at least she'd gotten his attention. "Coffee pot is that way," he said pointing then he walked, or rather stumbled, toward what Sam assumed was the bedroom.

Sam's heart was beating pretty fast as she started the coffee. This man was a drunken womanizer as far as she was concerned. What was West thinking sending her here alone to retrieve him? Why on earth would he want to retrieve this basket case anyway? Sam sighed. The sooner she put out her case and he flat out refused, the sooner she could get out of here.


	2. Chapter 2

After starting the coffee, Sam walked to the small kitchen table. She shook her head and sighed as she looked at the revolver and the single sheet of paper, still blank, with the ink pen sitting on top. She wasn't stupid. Jack O'Neill was a man with a death wish. If she hadn't arrived, he probably would have taken his own life by night fall. This man was not the right choice, but she wasn't about to just let him kill himself.

It was almost forty minutes before a slightly more sober, clean shaven Jack came back into the living room. To Sam's dismay, he was a very, very attractive man and he smelled so much better without the wreak of alcohol. His hair was unruly in a very sexy way. Maybe having him shower was a really bad idea. The last thing she needed was to be physically attracted to this basket case. Trying to regain her focus, Sam poured a couple of cups of coffee. "Do you take cream or sugar?" she asked.

"Black is fine," Jack replied. His voice sounded a bit stronger. Sam set the cups on the table, sliding the gun to the side as she sat down. "It isn't what it looks like. I was just-"

"So, I didn't interrupt your suicide?" she asked as she took a sip from her cup.

Jack sighed, "I hadn't really decided exactly. This," he said picking up the gun then returning it to the table, "has been sitting here for days. I guess I'm not even strong enough to end it, yet."

"Well, I'd say it takes a stronger person not to do it personally."

"Since you are not a shrink, let's just get to what you came for doctor."

"Sam, just call me Sam."

"Sam," he repeated, "what's West want?"

"I doubt he knows the shape you are in or he probably wouldn't have sent me colonel. I'm not sure I should proceed until we get to know each other a little better."

"Retired colonel and call me Jack, please. If West sent you, I figure he knows exactly the kind of shape I'm in and it likely doesn't matter for this particular mission. But, if you want to talk then talk."

Sam was taken back a little by his statement. She wasn't sure she liked what he was implying, but she tried to pass it off on his current state. "How long have you been retired, Jack?"

"Since my son died." He paused, "4 months, 6 days, and," he glanced at the wall, "about 14 hours."

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine losing a child."

"You have kids?"

"No."

"Well, being a parent is the most exciting adventure ever. There's nothing like it. Charlie was great. He was smart and funny, a great baseball player, and he thought I was a hero. But, it wasn't enough. I killed my own son."

Sam gasped and accidentally spilled part of her coffee. She grabbed a dishcloth and cleaned the mess. She really didn't know how to respond to this particular revelation. Finally, the silence seemed worse than anything she could possibly say, so she asked, "What exactly do you mean when you say you killed him?"

"I didn't have my firearm secure. He picked it up. He accidentally shot himself with my gun. West knows that, so believe me when I say he knows exactly what my mental state is right now."

"It sounds to me like it was an accident, Jack."

"Tell that to Charlie or Sarah."

Sam assumed Sarah was his ex-wife. Suddenly, she felt very sorry for the man in front of her. "I've been working on a top secret project at Cheyenne Mountain. We have an artifact. We call it the stargate. It's made of a metal that is completely unknown to this planet."

"So, what, it's alien?"

"That's what we believe."

Jack stood up. "Listen, Dr. Carter, I really think I'm loco enough. I don't need a crazy woman in my home talking about little green men, so I think we're done here. Thanks for the coffee and the," he paused, "pep talk. I think it's time for you to go."

"Jack, I'm actually serious. The stargate is, well, we think, it's a portal that creates a wormhole between our world and another. We've activated it already. General West plans to send a team through and do a risk assessment. This is a monumental discovery and the ramifications for the sciences and our culture could be enormous. Don't you want to literally travel to the stars instead of just looking at them through a telescope? At least, come back with me. Talk to General West. See the stargate." She picked up the gun. "I'm pretty sure this can wait a few more days."

Jack sighed. She had his attention now. "When do you want to leave?"

"Tomorrow morning work for you?"

"Tomorrow morning," Jack repeated. "Look, I haven't exactly eaten well over the last few weeks and I'm a little low on beer. I'm probably not in the best condition to drive. Want to give me a lift into town? I know a great place for a burger. I'll buy."

"That's not necessary colonel," Sam smiled, "but a burger and fries sound good to me."

By the time they arrived at the dinner, Jack seemed pretty sober. Sam was pleasantly surprised when he opted for a glass of water instead of a beer to go along with his burger. He seemed to know everyone from the waitress to the mother and son in the next booth. When he wanted, Jack could almost be charming. He even smiled a few times, but the smile never really reached his eyes. Sam realized mid-cheeseburger that she was going to have to be careful around this man. She'd always been attracted to the lunatic fringe, and she was pretty sure Jack O'Neill qualified. Even the way he dipped his fries in his ketchup was sexy. Maybe Sam just needed to get out of the mountain more and find herself a man. This one was really getting under her skin, and he was definitely not the right kind of guy for her. As he asked if she wanted a piece of chocolate cake for dessert with a tiny mischievous smile on his face and she felt a flutter in her stomach, Sam knew she was in deep trouble and it was a really long drive back to the mountain. Crap, why hadn't she flown?

Jack was having similar thoughts. Even in his messed up state of mind, he definitely appreciated the beautiful woman in front of him. She was so young and vibrant. There was a sick part of him that hated her for her exuberance and wanted to tarnish her obviously optimistic view of the world, but there was another part of him that just really wanted to be in her presence for as long as possible. She was hot, like Uma Thurman hot. If he were a better man, he wouldn't be thinking the thoughts he was thinking about this gorgeous woman. If she had any idea what was going through his mind, she'd leave him stranded in this dive and race back to her mountain. Crap, he was in trouble.

They finished their cake and he paid the tab despite her protests then they hopped in her little volvo and headed back to the cabin. It was getting really cloudy, and Jack knew the clouds and the area well enough to know they were in for one heck of a storm. It started pouring and the thunder was booming by the time the arrived. "You better come in awhile. This is going to be a doozy. You don't want to be caught out on these roads in a storm like this one."

Sam nodded and they rushed from the car to the cabin. They were soaked. Jack started another pot of coffee and a fire. "You look like a drowned rat," he said casually. I'll get you a t-shirt and sweatpants and we'll throw those in the dryer." Sam nodded and followed him to the bedroom. He handed her the clothes and pointed to the bathroom. Once she was safely behind the bathroom door, Jack sighed. He had really enjoyed the wet white shirt, but he needed her out of those clothes if he was going to behave like an officer and a gentleman. Of course, the idea of her out of those clothes was certainly an appealing possibility in itself. He quickly changed into some dry clothes himself and went to sit by the fire. Sam joined him and they found themselves talkin for the next few hours. Jack liked listening to her go on and on about the stargate and it's possible implications. He liked the way her eyes lit up as she talked her technobabble.

The rain finally let up about eight that night, and they said their goodbyes. Jack shook his head as he watched her pull out of the driveway. When did this start feeling like a date? What was wrong with him? He was a monster who didn't even manage to protect his son. He wasn't the kind of man who deserved a woman like Sam Carter and he was sure she was smart enough to know it. He was going to have to be very careful or somebody was going to get hurt, probably him.


	3. Chapter 3

I'll admit it. I am giving you a second chapter tonight, because I really couldn't make myself wait. Hope you enjoy it.

* * *

The drive to Colorado had been pleasant. Jack felt almost human when he was in Sam's presence. He felt a little guilty for actually enjoying himself. He knew full well he didn't deserve even the measure of comfort being around this beautiful, intelligent woman gave him. When they arrived, he was immediately whisked into General Wests office.

"Glad you agreed to come colonel," West said as soon as they were alone. "This is big. You're one of the few men I'm willing to entrust with this particular assignment. What did Dr. Carter tell you?"

"She briefed me on the stargate, sir. She also mentioned you were sending a special ops team through the gate to evaluate the threat risk."

"Good. So, I assume you understand that I want you to lead the team, right? I've brought in some of your men. I know you preference is to use men you are familiar with so I've tried to accommodate you. We will be sending Dr. Carter along to get the gate operational on the other side. I'm also sending a linguistics expert. His name is Captain Ben Phillips. Hopefully, he will be able to assist in the event you find indigenous people."

"That sounds acceptable enough sir, but I really would prefer not to take a civilian. Dr. Carter seems like a very intelligent woman, but I'm not really comfortable taking a civilian into a potentially dangerous situation. Perhaps, she could just tell us what we need to do to get home. If she wants to travel through later when we've determined there isn't a threat, that might be a better option."

"Jack, Dr. Carter can't tell you how to get home. She will have to figure it out from the other side. I have full confidence in her ability to complete the task. I agree with you though, if there were any way around it, I wouldn't ask you to take a civilian, especially one as brilliant as the good doctor. Since I have to send her, you and your men will need to do whatever is necessary to keep her safe. Understood?"

"Understood, sir."

West motioned for Jack to sit down and when both men were seated he lowered his voice, "there's one more thing I need from you, Jack, and it's a big one. This is for your ears only. The protection of this planet is of utmost importance. I'm sending a nuclear warhead with you. Once you've done your recon and Dr. Carter has managed to reopen the gate, I need you to make sure nothing will ever come through on our end. Do you understand what I'm asking?"

"Yes, sir. I'm assuming this is a one way trip for me. That would be the reason I was at the top of your list. I will complete my mission."

"Thank you. And, Jack, your country and this planet thanks you, too. I understand the sacrifice I am asking you to make."

"It's not a sacrifice, sir. I have nothing left to sacrifice. I guess this is my opportunity to right things."

As Jack left West's office, he thought of one thing he would be sacrificing. He wouldn't be getting to know Sam Carter very well after all. He wasn't stupid. He was fairly certain the attraction between them was mutual. If he was going to complete this mission, he needed to make sure she absolutely hated him by the end. No reason to leave her with any unresolved feelings about a potential, well, whatever he'd have been to her. It was time to just be the jerk she thought he was when they first met a few days ago. It was the right thing to do.

Jack's next order of business was to visit with his team, so he headed for the gym. He knew a few of the guys would be lifting weights or sparring. He ran into his old friend Charles Kawalski first. Kawalski was a guy Jack had served with multiple times during his black ops days. If it weren't for him, Jack probably wouldn't have made it out of a particularly bad scrape in Cuba just weeks before Charlie was born. They'd planned on naming their son after Sarah's father, but Jack insisted on naming the boy after the friend who'd saved his neck instead. Kawalski was a good guy. All these guys were good soldiers. Jack was determined to get them home alive.

"Colonel," Kawalski said with a smile, "I heard they roped you into this craziness. Glad you'll be in charge."

"Thanks, Kawalski. It's definitely going to be one for the record books."

"I'm really sorry. I heard the news after the funeral. I was on deployment."

Jack understood exactly what that likely meant, but he really didn't want to get into a conversation about his son right now. Soon enough, he'd be joining Charlie, or, well, maybe he wouldn't quite make it to where Charlie was, but he wouldn't be here. "It's alright. Let's maybe keep Charlie on a need to know basis for now," Jack said softly, looking around at the other men. He needed these guys to trust him with their lives. The less they knew, the better.

"So, there's this great little place in town called O'Malley's. The team is going out for steaks and beer tonight. You got to come with us. It'll be kind of a goodbye to planet Earth sort of thing. You know, just in case."

"Sounds good. Why don't you gather the guys and let's have a little briefing."

Soon enough, all of Jack's special ops soldiers, Captain Phillips, and Dr. Carter were gathered around the briefing table. Jack looked around the room with a sigh. He really didn't want to lead anyone into harm's way again. Several of these men had wives and children. How had he done this type of work for so many years? Why had he felt it always had to be him on these stupid assignments? This lifestyle had cost him so much time, time he could have spent with Charlie. Well, at least he wasn't leaving anyone behind this time. That was something. "I'm going to assume you've all been fully briefed on the stargate, so let's get straight to business. Day after tomorrow at 0800 we will be embarking on a mission into an unknown, possibly hostile, environment. There is no room for error. There's also no room for people who can't follow my orders to the letter. It is my job not only to determine potential threats to Earth but also to get each and everyone of you home safely. I can only complete my mission with your complete cooperation. Phillips here is supposedly a linguist. How many languages do you speak captain?"

"Seven, sir."

"Great, you are obviously an egghead. Can I assume you also know how to handle a firearm?"

"Yes. Sir. I was top of my class, sir."

"Excellent," Jack paused. It was time to proceed with his plan to make sure Sam was not a threat to his little side mission. Under normal circumstances, he'd prefer the hot brainy blonde to like him but these circumstances were definitely not normal. He didn't need some last minute plea for his life. It was best she hate him. "Our other egghead, and the reason we have this mission at all, is Dr. Samantha Carter. I know you are all familiar with her. It's her job to figure out how to reopen the gate from the other side. I know none of you could possibly be very happy about taking a woman without military background into a potential fire fight. I definitely would rather leave the geeks in the lab for this one, but West says we need her. So, keep the scientist alive. Dr. Carter, I expect you to follow my orders just like the military men, is the clear?"

Sam looked a bit stunned by his comments, but she recovered quickly. "Yes, sir." After a brief pause, she continued, "for the record, my father is a general. I've been shooting on the range as long as I could hold a gun. I assure you, colonel, I can handle myself."

"With all due respect, doctor, the range is nothing like an enemy combatant. Those cardboard cutouts don't tend to shoot back. But, thank you for informing us we have a military brat in our presence. Folks, protect the doctor and avoid the wrath of her general daddy. None of you want KP duty for the rest of your natural born lives."

Jack chanced another look at Sam. It was working. He could tell she wanted to yell at him. Gone was the friendly woman he'd ridden in the car with for so many hours. She now wore the same disgusted look he remembered from their first encounter at his front door. She would definitely not be a problem when the time came to stay behind.

"I understand steaks and beer are on the agenda for tonight. You are all dismissed. See you at O'Malley's." Jack noticed that Sam didn't leave with the others. She waited until they were alone then pulled the door closed. "Is there something you needed, Dr. Carter?"

"What was that all about, Jack?"

"Dr. Carter, I think under the circumstances it would be best if you addressed me as Colonel O'Neill or sir. I am your commanding officer on this mission."

"I was under the impression we were becoming friends, sir," She said over enunciating the sir to make a point.

"Friends? We are practically strangers," Jack replied then steeling himself for the reaction he knew he was going to deserve, he pushed her just a little further. "I'll admit I attempted to get a bit more familiar with you before we arrived. I even turned on the charm. You're hot and I'm a red-blooded American man, doctor. But, since fate has decided you are under my command, my plans of getting you into bed will just have to go by the wayside. Whatever you thought we were becoming, well, it was hardly friends. Now, if you'll excuse me, this could be my last chance to get a woman in my bed for awhile. I'd rather not waste it talking to you." With that, He opened the door and walked away. By the look on her face, he was confident he'd just completed his mission. The beautiful Samantha Carter hated his guts. She'd probably happily set the nuke that would take his miserable life herself.

Sam was floored. No man had ever been quite that blunt with her about his intentions. She couldn't believe she'd actually started to like this creep. Apparently, her first impression had been correct. He may be sexy, but he was definitely not her type. If she weren't so desperate to see what was on the other side of that wormhole, she would ask to be replaced by someone else on her team. That man was impossible.

Suddenly, she had lost her appetite. There was no way she was going to go to dinner with the team and watch the colonel turn on his fake charm and woo some unsuspecting woman into his bed. Instead, she headed back to her lab to review a few calculations and try to forget everything she thought she knew about Jack O'Neill. One thing was certain, she wasn't going to ever be another notch in his bedpost. She really needed better judgement in men. Sam Carter felt really stupid for the first time in her life.


	4. Chapter 4

I put up two chapters yesterday, now it is time to get to our first real adventure. Keep in mind that this trip to Abydos is Daniel free so I've had to make some pretty major adjustments. Hope you enjoy the ride.

Oh, and I just checked my bank account. It would appear there are still no royalties from Stargate so I still own absolutely nothing.

* * *

The trip through the stargate was not what any of them expected. Sam was sure she was going to throw up. She'd never been so cold in her life. It was awful, but it was also amazing. Here she was on a totally different planet. The gate was in some sort of room. It was a bit dark but there were hieroglyphics visible on the walls. Captain Phillips was sure they were Ancient Egyptian. Sam was grateful Egyptian was his area of expertise. Ben was a good guy. He'd helped Sam decipher quite a few things as they did their research trying to open the gate. She was more than a little relieved to have his friendly face on this mission, especially considering who was in command. Sam had done her best to avoid the colonel after their very enlightening conversation in the briefing room. She was still a little raw from the encounter, but avoiding him was no longer an option.

"Listen up, people. Time to get to work. Carter, you start finding us a way home. Phillips, you're with Carter. Everybody else, groups of two. Secure the perimeter. Keep your eyes open for hostiles. We really have no idea what we're dealing with here." After the others had broken off from the group, he looked at Sam. "How much time are you going to need to get that thing back open?"

Sam sighed. "I have no idea, sir. Look at this," she said, pointing to a pedestal near the gate. "It has the same symbols as the stargate. I think it's some kind of dialing device. We were missing this piece on Earth. We had to rig a computer program to dial. Theoretically, I just have to figure out the gate address to home and dial it from this device. It's going to take some time."

"Well, be as quick as you can, Carter. If we run into trouble, I need options. I'm going to join the others. Phillips, keep a look out and help Dr. Carter if she needs a translation. And, Carter, that gun in your holster is there for a reason. Do not hesitate to use it. It won't be like your targets. Don't freeze up. If you're dead, we're stuck here." With that, he was gone and Sam got right to work.

Sam hadn't really been at it long when Ferretti came back to the gate with news. "You aren't going to believe this but there are people here, real human people. They want us to come for a feast. The colonel sent me to get you guys. This is going to blow your minds."

Sam followed Ferretti. Phillips was right behind her. When they exited the structure, Ferretti pointed to building they'd just left. It was shaped exactly like the pyramids of Giza, and they were in the middle of a desert. "This is amazing," Philips said in astonishment.

The people, too, reminded Sam of what she'd expect an Ancient Egyptian to look like and their attire and demeanor also just cried out Egyptian. Sam's eyes were drawn to Jack. He was talking to an older man. Sam assumed he was in charge. She really needed to get closer. Her curiosity was getting the best of her. She stayed just far enough back for her eavesdropping to, hopefully, not be very noticeable.

"We are so glad to have friendly visitors come through our chapa'i," the man Sam would later learn was called Kasuf said with a smile. "Welcome to Abydos. Tonight, we celebrate! Please follow me."

The feast was unlike anything Sam had ever experienced. There were so many exotic foods, some of which Sam wasn't so sure she wanted to try, and there was music and dancing. A teenage boy named Skara seemed to take an instant liking to Jack. Jack's lighter seemed to impress all the boys. Sam kind of sat back. She wanted to just take everything in for awhile. This was obviously a very patriarchal society. The women served the food. One young woman caught Sam's eye very quickly. She was Skara's sister and apparently the daughter of Kasuf. She sure did seem to be fussing over the colonel, and he sure didn't seem to mind the constant attention. Sam tried to tell herself she wasn't jealous. She was just concerned that the leader of their team might lose his focus and make a mistake that could get them all in trouble. After all, she had his number now. He obviously had a weakness for booze and women. Again, Sam wondered why General West was so sure Jack was the right one for this job.

Phillips, on the other hand, impressed Sam. He was speaking to some of the older men, Kasuf included, and trying to get as much information as possible. The rest of the guys seemed to intent on just enjoying the party to do anything useful. If this was supposed to be the Air Force's finest, Sam was glad she'd never signed up.

When the young woman, Sha're, took Jack's hand and led him away from the crowd, Sam was suddenly livid. She marched straight over to Phillips and the elders. She quietly asked Philips if he'd noticed the disappearing colonel, but he obviously had been to engrossed in conversation to see Jack leave. "Sorry, Sam, but the men were just telling me about a cartouche. I think it may be what we need to get home. If I'm understanding them correctly, it sounds like an address book of sorts. I don't think Abydos is the only planet we can reach with the stargate. Isn't this amazing? They said they'd take us there in the morning."

"That's amazing, Ben. Don't you think this is something Colonel O'Neill needs to know immediately? Where did she take him?"

It was Kasuf who answered, "Colonel O'Neill is with my daughter. She will make a fitting bride for your leader. She's my gift to him."

Sam was livid, "your gift? Oh, I don't think so."

"Sam, let's not create an intergalactic incident. Choose your next words carefully," Phillips warned.

Sam thought for a moment. Knowing what she knew about the colonel, she couldn't in good conscience let him just "take" this "gift" but she needed to avoid angering the people with the address book if they were going to complete the mission. "I'm afraid Jack can't accept your gift, Kasuf. He's already got a wife, and I'm not going to sit here and let him take another."

Kasuf looked a bit ashen, "forgive me. It was a misunderstanding. Please come with me. I will take you to him immediately."

Satisfied that she'd avoided a crisis, Sam followed Kasuf to the colonel and his, um, friend. Thankfully, nothing appeared to have happened between them. They were just sitting on the bedding. "Sha're, we have made a horrible mistake. This man already has a wife." He looked at Jack, "please forgive our blunder. I've brought your bride to you. You will not be disturbed until morning." Sam's face turned bright red. Holy Hannah! Kasuf thought she was married to Jack.

Kasuf and Sha're quickly left them alone. "Dr. Carter, do you want to explain why we are suddenly married. Not that you're not a beautiful woman, but I'm pretty sure we agreed we were going to have a professional relationship."

"I, uh," Sam began, "there seems to have been a misunderstanding, sir."

"Oh, I got that much. Explain."

"Kasuf wanted to honor the leader of our expedition. He was giving you his daughter as a wife, sir. I may have done a poor job when I was trying to explain why that couldn't happen."

"And, now he thinks we are married."

"Apparently so, sir," Sam said looking at her feet.

"Well, it looks like I'll be taking you to bed after all, doctor." Sam looked up at Jack in shock. "I mean, you'll have to sleep here. We can't exactly send you back out there after this little production, can we?" Sam stared at him, unsure how to respond. "Relax Carter. I wasn't going to molest the girl. I'm not going to take advantage of you either."

Understanding what he was saying, Sam nodded. They were most definitely stuck. She looked around the tent. This was a nightmare. The floor was basically all bed. There was candlelight, and this man somehow looked even more attractive than usual. What a mess!

"Sir, there's something else you should know. Abydos isn't the only planet with a stargate. Phillips found out there's a cartouche here with gate addresses. The elders are willing to take us to it in the morning."

"Are you sure, Carter?"

"Yes, sir. Phillips seemed pretty confident."

"Well, this certainly changes a few things. What do you think of these people? Friendly, aren't they? Not as advanced as we are but they don'the exactly seem like the type to attack Earth. Do they seem like a threat to you?"

"No, sir."

"We need to see that cartouche. We need to see everything. I have to know as much about these people as possible, Carter."

"Of course, sir."

"Right or left?" Jack asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Side of the bed, right or left?"

"Left," Sam answered.

"Good. Well, at least we are compatible in bed, Dr. Carter. I prefer the right. Let's get some sleep."

Sam took her place on the bed, but she highly doubted she'd be able to get a good night's sleep beside the colonel. He was like Jeckle and Hyde. He'd been a total jerk since they arrived at the mountain and now suddenly he was back to the friendly Jack from the burger joint. What was going on and why did she still find him so hard to resist?


	5. Chapter 5

Jack woke before Sam the next morning. She was as far away from him as possible without actually falling off the bed, but she was on her side facing his direction. She looked like an angel. He tried to stay as still as possible, so he could just watch her sleep for awhile. Contrary to what he had said to Sam, he hadn't shared a bed with anyone since Sarah left him. It was kind of nice to have someone beside him.

Oh, he'd enjoyed watching her squirm a bit when she realized she was stuck with him. He had done a really good job making her dislike him, but the attraction was obviously still present. Jack pretended to fall asleep quickly, but he knew she was struggling to get to sleep herself. He could almost hear the gears in her head spinning and he could only imagine what was going through her head. He suspected she had been more consumed by jealousy then her concern for the mission or Sha're's virtue, and that gave him a little bit of a thrill. If things were just a little different, he would be desperate for this woman's attention.

As Sam's eyes fluttered open Jack tried hard to put on his stern colonel face. "Good to see you back among the living Dr. Carter. Let's get some breakfast and see that cartouche thing you mentioned last night."

"Yes, sir," Sam said as she rubbed her eyes. "Sir, what are we going to tell the men? I mean, what do we say about us being in here alone all night?"

Jack smirked, "Worried about your reputation, Samantha?"

"I, I just would rather they not get the wrong idea," she stammered.

"I think going with the truth is probably our best move. You were in a jealous rage and you got rid of the competition. The guys will understand. I mean the fact that you are a little obsessed with me is pretty obvious to all of them anyway, right?"

Sam's eyes got wide and she sat straight up. "Wait just one minute, Jack. This was about the mission." She declared vehemently, "not to mention your safety and the importance of protecting relations with these people."

"Relax Sam. I was teasing. We'll just explain the misunderstanding and leave it at that. No worries," Jack said with a grin. Oh, yes, he was right. She was most definitely jealous.

Jack watched Sam and Phillips excitement as they videoed the cartouche on Abydos. If these really were gate addresses then he was going to have to rethink his orders. Heck, who was he kidding? He already had serious doubts. How could he justify blowing up these people? These were families, not enemy soldiers. He didn't expect to find humans. Where were all the evil aliens from the sci-fi movies? One thing was for sure, if he nuked these people, he wouldn't be a hero to his team, to Sam. Could he do it? Jack didn't know anymore.

Finally, Sam walked over to him. "Sir, Phillips and I were just talking. We tried several combinations before finally getting the gate to open, including some of the ones we've found here."

"So, not gate addresses?" Jack asked.

"I didn't say that, sir. Actually, we have a theory. These addresses were carved a really long time ago. Planets shift over time. We think there's a possibility Abydos is just the closest gate to Earth. Within a few hundred years, even it's address wouldn't work using our current dialing system. No, these addresses are no longer exactly valid, but it's plausible there are many stargates. I think these two gates are part of a very large gate system, sir."

"What good does that do us if we can't reach them doctor?"

"I think we can, sir. With a little tweaking to our dialing system and these addresses, we could probably extrapolate a couple of gate addresses each week. This is probably only the beginning. Imagine, we could travel all over the galaxy."

"You're sure about this, Carter?" Jack asked.

"As sure as I can be without actually trying it out, sir. Isn't this amazing?"

"It's something alright. Let's be realistic, Sam. These people may not be a threat, but if there are that many other planets with this technology, odds are there are some pretty dangerous aliens out there. We need to get this information back to West, ASAP."

"Yes, sir. It would help if we could take a few days and fully examine the ruins."

"You've got 48 hours, Sam. No longer." Sam nodded, and Jack couldn't resist teasing her a little. "Think you can handle pretending to be my wife for a few more days?"

"I should have just let you marry the alien," Sam retorted then she continued, "I think I can suffer through it." She paused, "I need a few things from our supplies. Can you spare someone to go with me?"

"No problem, Carter. I'll walk with you. I really don't think we are in much danger here."

When they arrived at their supplies, Jack started briefed the men who he had left guarding their belongings. He wasn't paying any attention to Sam as she searched the containers. When she didn't find the protractor she was looking for in the box she packed, she started looking through some of the other boxes. She finally got to a rather large crate and opened it. What she found inside shoOK her to her very core. Why had they brought a nuclear bomb? And, more importantly, why wasn't she informed? She needed to talk to Jack alone and find out what was happening here. She carefully closed the crate. Her protractor forgotten, she joined Jack and the others.

"Finished, Dr. Carter?" Sam nodded and Jack continued, "apparently there's another feast in our honor. Shall we?"

Kasuf seated Sam beside Jack at the meal. Sam stayed pretty quiet as the party went on around her. She really couldn't wait for the evening to be over, and she was actually grateful her pretense as Jack's wife would guarantee her some time alone with him. The idea that they'd brought a nuke on what she understood to be a threat assessment and exploratory mission still really bothered her. If this were just a threat assessment, why bring the bomb? Shouldn't that decision have waited until they'd returned home and given their reports? Jack was in charge of this op. He'd have the answers she needed. The question was, would he give them to her?

Finally, the evening drew to a close. Sam and Jack made it to their shared quarters. "Well, sleep tight, Carter. We need to get an early start tomorrow," Jack said as soon as they were alone.

"Actually, colonel, we need to talk."

"See, Sam, that's the sentence all men fear most. Well, besides maybe 'does this dress make me look fat?' What do you need?"

Sam swallowed, "I know about the bomb."

"Oh," Jack said softly. "Do any of the others know?"

"No. Wait, you mean none of your men know we brought a nuclear weapon with us? What's going on, Jack?"

"Sam, I told you West knew my state of mind. This was supposed to be a one way trip for me. The nuke was need to know basis."

Sam's head was spinning. "You mean your orders were to nuke an alien planet? Are you kidding me? Why would West give an order like that before we even knew if there was any danger?"

"Sam, I'm sure West was following orders, too. Tactically, it wasn't a bad move. We didn't know what to expect."

"But, you were going to sacrifice yourself. I knew you were suicidal. I thought I was helping you by telling you about the gate, but I was just giving you a new way to kill yourself." Sam stopped talking. Suddenly his erratic behavior made sense. "You knew I wouldn't let you do it. That's why you acted like such a jerk. You were trying to push me away."

"That would be 'you were being a jerk, sir,' and don't kid yourself. I am kind of a jerk. It's part of my charm," Jack smirked.

"Don't make light of this, Jack. This is serious. You can't possibly be considering killing all these people."

"The cartouche gives me options, Sam. That's why it was so important to me that you were right about there being other stargates. If I go back without nuking this planet, I am going to need a really good reason. Otherwise, they'll just go ahead and do it anyway. Help me save these people, Sam."

"And, what about you? Are you still set on dying? What happens when we get home?" Sam asked looking straight into his eyes. "I need to know, Jack."

"If there really is a network of these gates then odds are there's a threat somewhere. I don't see the point in taking my own life if I could give it to protect the lives of every man, woman, and child on our planet."

"Maybe, you could try not dying."

"Well, that's an option, too." Jack paused, "listen, I like you. I think we were moving towards friendship. I thought it would be easier for you to let me die here if you hated my guts. I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"I get it. Stay alive awhile and be my friend, Jack," Sam replied wistfully. It all made sense now. He was a good man, noble if misguided. Together, they'd find everything they needed to justify saving this planet. They could be friends and she would make sure he put his death wish out of his head.


	6. Chapter 6

Jack woke to the sound of Kawalski's voice early the next morning. "Colonel, Phillips has learned something you need to know." Kawalski paused before continuing and Jack quickly realized the reason. Sam was not on the opposite side of the bed. She was curled up very close to him with her hand on his chest. Her head was on his pillow. He was facing her direction, and his own hand was around her waist. "Sorry to interrupt, sir, but this is big."

Kawalski excused himself, but a now wide awake Sam was still frozen in her position obviously horrified by their very compromising position. "Don't panic, Sam. It may be hot in the daytime, but the desert's cold at night. I'll talk to Kawalski and assure him nothing happened. He'll be discreet." Sam nodded and started to sit up. He immediately missed the contact, but he felt the need to lighten the situation. "I'm glad I gave you 48 hours. It's not everyday I get to sleep beside a beautiful woman who likes to cuddle," Jack smirked.

Sam hit him with a pillow. "Not funny, Jack."

"Seriously, it'll be fine. Let's see what Phillips knows."

Phillips briefed them over breakfast. "I was talking to Kasuf. They worship Ra." When Jack gave him a blank look, he explained, "Ra was the sun God in Ancient Egypt. This could be huge, sir. How is it possible they worship a deity that was worshipped on Earth so long ago?"

"Amazing," Sam began, "these people are human, sir. This could explain the reason. I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out how humans could have evolved exactly the same on two totally different planets. The answer is the didn't. The stargate was found in Egypt. These people must have travelled through the gate generations ago. They may have seeded Earth or, maybe just as likely, Earth seeded this planet. If this is true, there could be people like us on any number of planets."

"Okay," Jack said, "and this means what to our mission?"

"Well, sir," Phillips frowned, "there's more. Apparently this Ra actually visits here pretty regularly. The people here on Abydos are miners. They mine a mineral that Ra wants. They are his slaves, sir. And, he isn't quite human. He has some extremely advanced technology. He comes in a space ship, and his weapons sound insanely advanced. We're talking Star Trek level advanced, sir. Kasuf says he doesn't appear to age and his eyes glow. He rules the people with fear, sir."

Jack looked at Sam, "this would be one of those bad aliens I was worried about, Carter."

"Sir, we need to visit the catacombs where they recorded their history. They are willing to take us there this morning."

"So, I suppose we'll be spending our last day on Earth in the catacombs men. Look alive. I don't want any surprises, and I don't want to meet this Ra."

Phillips got right to work translating when they arrived at the catacombs. Jack set up a perimeter, and he opted to keep Sam near him. He told himself it was because she was the only nonmilitary member of the team and it was his responsibility to keep her safe, but, in truth, he really didn't want to entrust her safety to anyone else.

"This Ra sounds like trouble," Jack said with a sigh. "If he has ships and ever makes his way to Earth, I don't think I'd like to see our military go up against him."

"I agree," Sam frowned. "What bothers me most is that there was a Ra in Ancient Egypt. Not only that, they worshipped so many gods and goddesses. What if what they thought were gods were actually a race of aliens, this race of aliens. If even one is still out there, we can't let him find Earth."

"You're right. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be them finding Earth would it? They've already been there. Let's try not to remind them we exist." Changing the subject and lowering his voice, "you're reputation is intact. I talked to Kawalski. He's not going to mention this morning even though I don't think he believed the truth."

"Thank you," Sam said sincerely. "I've had to turn down dates from several officers on base. I told them I didn't date military men. They've finally stopped asking. I'd rather they not get the wrong idea about what's going on with us. It's hard enough to gain respect as a scientist and a woman without them thinking I'm, well, you know."

"I do," Jack agreed. "For the record, you are a brilliant scientist. West respects you. My other side mission was to get you home safely. He doesn't want to lose that brain of yours. That's one mission I intend to complete." Sam smiled at him. He really liked her smile. He was almost relieved she had found the bomb and that she knew the truth. Her hating him might have been something he could die with but he doubted he could live with it, and Jack thought maybe living offered some interesting possibilities after all if he could change her mind about dating a military man. For some reason, he didn't think it would be to hard to convince her.

Their moment was interrupted by an excited Captain Phillips. "Colonel, these people are originally from Earth. Ra brought them here through the stargate thousands of years ago! And, Dr. Carter, look at this!" He pointed to more writing. "It's a little worn away, but is this the address to Earth?"

Sam stepped in closer to examine it further. "Yes, I'm sure this is it. We won't have to try to figure out the cartouche while we are here. We can use this address to get home and work out the rest later."

"That's good news. Phillips how long do you need to wrap things up here? We are cutting this trip short. Earth needs this information," Jack commanded.

"Give me an hour to film the writing on the wall and we will have everything we need, sir."

"Good. Sam, you're with me. Let's go tell the others then say a few words to our new friends. We will meet at the gate in one hour."

As the walked, Jack decided to tease his beautiful scientist one last time. "As much as I was looking forward to cuddling with you one last night here, I really am looking forward to taking a shower and getting all this dust off of me."

"Oh, believe me, colonel. I'd rather have a shower than cuddle up to you anytime," Sam retorted.

"That's hurtful, Carter. And, I was going to offer to take you out to O'Malley's to celebrate."

Sam rolled her eyes, but Jack caught a hint of a smile. "If your paying, I'm sure the whole team will be ready to celebrate." She paused and looked over at Skara and another boy who were trying on some of the soldiers' hats and attempting to salute each other. "I'm just glad we found what we needed, but I wish we could help these people. They're slaves. It's not right."

"Me, too," Jack sighed, "Skara is a good kid. He reminds me of my son, and his sister is a very kind young woman." He paused and watched Sam roll her eyes. Yes, she was definitely jealous. "This place doesn't offer them much of a future. I wish we could save them all, but I have a hunch the brass won't see it that way. Earth's defense is most important. I have a feeling we wouldn't be much of a match for the aliens they serve anyway."

They'd almost made it back to the village when they saw a giant ship coming down from the heavens. Crap, this was not good. After urging Sam to take cover, Jack radioed his men to stay out of sight. He was about to tell them to get to the gate when the spaceship made its descent and landed directly over the pyramid where the gate, their only way off this rock, rested. Jack looked at Sam. No words were needed. They were in big trouble.


	7. Chapter 7

I really debated how I was going to write the Abydos mission. I considered just retelling the movie with Sam in Daniel's role, but the differences between a nonmilitary Sam Jack had feelings for and the Daniel from the movie just wouldn't let me do it. The next few chapters are very, very AU. Hope you enjoy the ride.

* * *

It had to be Ra. Sam knew it with as much certainty as she had ever had in her life. If Ra discovered any of them, not only would they be in grave danger but so would the people of Abydos. Sam took cover as Jack said, but she doubted they'd be able to escape this scenario just by trying to hide. These people, their new friends, weren't just slaves. They were worshippers of Ra. It was almost an inevitable probability that one of them would feel obligated to tell their god about the visitors. What were they going to do? She hoped Jack really was the leader and brilliant military mind General West believed he was and that he'd be able to come up with some sort of a plan quickly, but she wasn't sure his plan would save them all. And, she knew how willing he was to sacrifice himself. It was odd to have known him such a short time and feel so much fear that he'd probably find a way to save them but likely get himself killed in the process. She was truly terrified.

"Whatever happens, you stay out of sight," Jack commanded. "That's your mission. Stay alive and let the military do their jobs."

Sam didn't bother answering, because she knew he was looking for a yes sir or at least a nod in the affirmative and she wasn't going to make a promise she couldn't make herself keep. His mission might be to keep her alive, but hers was to make sure he got home, too. She was not going to fail.

They stayed huddled up behind some barrels. Jack was trying to get a glimpse of his men. She knew he was looking for an opportunity and she doubted he'd give her much warning when it was time to move, so she kept her own eyes on him. He had gotten under her skin in a way nobody else had and she really didn't want anything to happen to him. It wasn't just that she was attracted to him. Attraction was easy. It was his vulnerability and his sense of duty that really drew her to him. He drove her a little crazy, but it was a good kind of crazy and she wanted to keep him around.

Ra's men were puzzling. They wore these elaborate armors that had an Egyptian feel. Their heads were covered by odd helmets that were shaped to look like dog heads. It was completely surreal. Their weapons looked like staffs. Sam watched as one of the men powered his staff as a show of force, and she couldn't help but wonder exactly how it was powered. One thing was clear, they were out manned and out gunned.

As they watched the men pass by, Sha're came up behind them. "Come. You must hurry." Sam and Jack followed Sha're to one of the tents. They watched as she moved the bedding and pulled open a trap door. There were steps leading to a hidden room. "Go. I will return for you. Do not come out, please."

Once they were in the hidden room, Sha're closed the door behind them and Jack turned on his flashlight and shined it around the room. There were clay containers of grain lining the walls. "I don't like this a bit," Jack grimaced. He tried the radio but got no response. "Sam, I have to try and get to my men. You stay here."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Jack. If we are captured, who's going to free the team if they get caught?"

Jack sighed. Sam knew he was thinking about what she'd said. "I can't just sit here while they are in danger."

"I know, but it's the most logical move for getting us all out of this alive and you know it."

Reluctantly, Jack sat down. Sam sat beside him. They could hear noises. There were screams coming from the villagers and eventually they heard gunshots then the shooting ceased. Sam grabbed Jack's hand and looked into his eyes pleading him silently to just wait. Time seemed to stand still as they waited for Sha're's return. Neither of them spoke. They were deep in thought. This was a mess.

Finally, the trap door opened and Kassuf came down the steps. "I am sorry for the delay. I sent Sha're as soon as I saw where you were hiding. Skara went to fetch your friends. He did not arrive on time."

"Are my men alive?" Jack demanded.

"For now, we believe they are alive. Ra's Jaffa have taken them to his ship for questioning. I am sorry. They took Skara as well."

"Why did you help us?" Sam asked.

"We have served our god faithfully yet he treats us cruelly. We mine for them. Ra takes everything. He even chooses our finest men and women and takes them away to become hosts to his sons and daughters. Until you arrived, we had no hope of being free. Your Phillips said we come from your world. If anyone can help us it is you. How could we not try to keep you safe? I am only sorry we could not hide all of you."

Jack nodded, "how do we get our men and your son back?"

"They were taken to the ship. Some of the jaffa are still among us. Ra will not leave without them."

"I need to get on that ship. Any ideas?"

"They enter through the pyramid. We have to carry large containers of naqueda onto the ship before it departs. My people can hide you in the containers and get you on board, but we must act quickly."

"Thank you," Jack said then turning to Sam, "you're staying right here."

"No, sir. You need backup." If Jack honestly thought she was going to let him go alone, he was sorely mistaken.

"It's an order, Sam. Stay here. I don't have a clue what I'm getting into here. You're job is to stay alive and return home. Earth needs to know about this threat."

Sam sighed, "no, you need back up. We have to neutralize this threat here and now. Your best chance is with me, sir." Sam knew she had over emphasized the sir a bit more than she intended when Jack raised his eyebrows. "Besides, I have an idea."

"What exactly are you proposing?"

"We use the bomb. If we can get the bomb aboard the ship, we can find the men, free them and set the timer to blow the ship."

"Won't that effectively blow us all up, Sam? What about the people here?"

"We'll need to detonate in space, sir."

"Exactly why you have to stay here. This is a one way mission, Sam."

"I don't think it has to be, Jack. Let me go with you. I'll find us a way off." She softly added, "if I don't go, I won't see you again."

"That wouldn't be the worst possible outcome, Sam. You are needed. I'm expendable."

"Nobody's expendable. Trust me."

"There is a way off," Kassuf said. "They enter and leave the ship by a set of rings. It is what we use to load the ship. You can move from the ship to the planet with your men and my son."

"It must be some sort of transportation device, sir. I can figure out how to operate it. You need me."

"Okay, Sam. You win. Let's get our things ready. I just need to talk to Kassuf and get a few more details."

Soon, Sam, Jack, and the bomb were in separate cartons. Sam felt hers being carried. It seemed like forever before the carton was still. She kept waiting for Jacks signal but it never came. Finally, she gently removed the lid. But, she wasn't on the ship. She was alone in the catacombs. Sam suddenly knew exactly why Jack had wanted a private moment with Kassuf. He was gone. He wasn't taking her with him.


	8. Chapter 8

Jack waited until it was completely silent then opened his carton. He was in some kind of storage area. There were several cartons around him but the one containing the bomb was directly to his left just as Kassuf promised. After checking to make sure it was safe and sound and setting the timer with what he hoped was enough time, Jack pulled his gun and began exploring. He stayed out of sight as he moved through the corridors of the ship. First priority was to find the rings and make sure he knew how to get his men off the ship. He needed things to move as smoothly as possible once his presence was made known.

He knew Sam was going to be angry, but he did what was necessary. She wasn't military. She had no business being in a fire fight, and somebody needed to live. Earth had to be warned. He wasn't stupid. It was highly likely he'd fail to save the rest of the team. Sam didn't need to die with them. Sure, she was going to hate him for leaving her behind, but he was convinced it was the only solution.

Jack got lucky. He arrived just outside the ring platform on time to watch some of Ra's men activate the rings. Now, he knew where they needed to go and he thought he probably knew how to make them work for his team. He even managed to stay out of sight until only one of the jaffa, the one activating the device was present. This was his chance. He was very grateful for the silencer he'd packed. He couldn't risk alerting the others to his presence. He aimed for a location that wasn't covered by armor and fired. The jaffa fell. This was going well. He removed the armor. There was an odd x in the jaffa's abdomen. Jack was thoroughly disgusted when a long snake-like creature raised its head through the hole. Immediately , he put several rounds in the disgusting creature then he changed into the armor and started making his way through the ship looking for his men. He didn't risk keeping his gun. The staff weapon would be less conspicuous.

Finding what appeared to be a throne room, Jack got what he assumed was his first glimpse of Ra. He looked like a kid, probably no older than Skara. His eyes glowed when he spoke to the other jaffa in the room. Jack desperately wanted to kill him then and there, but he was surrounded by small children. Jack couldn't get a clear shot, and he knew even if he could take him out, it would mean sacrificing his men. Jack didn't have to wait long before another jaffa brought a pretty beat up Kawalski into the room. Ra looked him over closely. He questioned him in what Jack assumed was Egyptian, but Kawalski only gave his name, rank and serial number repeatedly. Ra raised his hand. There was some sort of weapon on it. A light shot forth and began penetrating Kawalski's head. Jack was at a loss. Now what? If he tried to save him, his cover would be blown. If he did nothing, Kawalski was a dead man.

He needed a distraction, but he had nothing. He could only watch in horror as his friend screamed then he heard noises. Ra stopped as several jaffa entered the room. Something was happening. Ra immediately left with all but one of the jaffa, and Jack fired. He fell dead. Kawalski looked up at him in terror. Jack removed his helmet. "What kind of shape are you in, Kawalski? We got to move now."

"I can make it, sir. Really glad to see you."

"Put the armor on quickly. Let's get our men and get out of here."

"Yes, sir," Kawalski replied. Jack kept watch as Kawalski changed. "Ouch, I think I just had a crick in my neck."

"Are you going to be able to fight?"

"Yes, sir. It wasn't nearly as bad as the brain frying I was getting a minute ago. The men are this way," he said pointing to the right.

Together they moved quickly to the holding chamber and freed their men and a very frightened Skara. They rushed to the ring platform and ringed to the planet only to find themselves in the middle of another battle. The people of Abydos were in full on rebellion against their oppressors. That must have been the commotion that caused Ra to leave his throne room. He and his men immediately joined the battle. They had the jaffa on the run. Soon, they were retreating for the ship. Jack head the engines powering up and looked at his watch. There were six minutes until detonation. If the ship would just hit the atmosphere before the nuke went off, they had it made.

As the ship took off, Jack and his men took out the remaining Jaffa. They had lots of help from the Abydonians. Finally, he saw Sam. She was right in the center of the battle and she was holding her own. Jack didn't have any doubts on who had provided his distraction. She was one amazing woman. They managed to kill the last jaffa just as the bomb went off. The ship had made it into the atmosphere, just high enough to save the people on the planet. Ra was dead. Cheers went up all around Jack, but he didn't cheer. He was making a bee line for Sam.

"So, I take it this little rebellion was your idea?"

"Yes, sir," Sam replied. "Like I said, you needed my help."

"Good work, Carter. Stupid move, but good work." He pulled her into a big hug.

"I'm still really mad at you, Jack. You shouldn't have left me behind, but I'm glad you're okay," she said hugging him back.

There was a huge celebration on Abydos that night. The people were free. Jack looked around. There had been losses among the people of Abydos, but they honored their dead as heroes. He was more than a little proud of the way they'd stood up to their oppressors. Sam was beside him, but she was still obviously ticked at him, and that was okay. She was alive. That's all he cared about at the moment. Skara sat on his other side happily recounting the battle. He suddenly seemed a little older and wiser. Again, Jack thought of Charlie. He couldn't save his son, but he was very proud he'd been able to save this boy. Now, Skara had the chance to become a man. He was free. All of these people were free. Maybe the universe could still use a washed up soldier like him after all. He'd live for them. He would do what he'd done all of his adult life. He'd fight for others, and he would do it in Charlie's memory. His heart was lighter now. He would do his best to live up to the image of hero his son had believed he was because that's what Charlie would want.

"Skara, you did good today. I want you to have this," Jack said with a smile as he handed him his lighter.

"I can't accept it. It's yours."

"No, it's yours now. You are brave. You keep this as a reminder. Things are going to be different here now. I don't want you to ever forget how brave you were today."

Skara looked down. "I was captured. I failed."

"No, you didn't fail. You were one of the first to rise up. I've been captured myself," Jack said. Skara's eyes grew wide. "Being captured doesn't make you less of a hero. It just means you were willing to sacrifice even your own life to save others. That's real bravery. This," Jack pointed to the lighter, "belongs to you now." Skara nodded. He held the lighter in the same way Charlie would have held his newest baseball trophy. Jack felt that same familiar pride welling up inside him as the young man hugged him.

They retired to their quarters very late that night. Tomorrow, they'd be going home. Sam was pretty quiet as they lay there. Jack desperately wanted to make a mends, but he'd never been good at this sort of thing. He was always more of a man of action than a man of words. "Look, Sam. I know you're angry, but I did what I thought was best. Earth needed to know what we found."

"That's not why I'm angry, Jack. You lied to me. You left me here, and you were willing to sacrifice yourself again. I can't be the friend you need. I can't keep you from killing yourself or sacrificing yourself. I don't want to do this anymore. I don't know exactly what is happening between us, but this is getting real for me. I think you feel something for me, too. I care about you, but you were right. We need to find a way to keep this thing between us, whatever it is, professional. This isn't healthy. It has to end or someone is going to get hurt."

Jack wanted to argue. He really wanted to tell her he felt differently now, but he couldn't find the words. He wanted to live now, and she had a whole lot to do with it. But, if he were to be honest, he'd sacrifice himself in a heartbeat if it was necessary. He really thought he could fall for this woman, but she deserved more than he would ever have to offer. Sarah had deserved more, too. Now, she was gone and she was hurting. Jack didn't want to cause Sam that kind of pain. She was right. They couldn't do this anymore. He was falling for her and she obviously felt something similar for him. It was best they stop things now. "Okay, Sam. We can do professional. Get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow's debriefing is going to be very long," he paused. "You did really good out there. I'm proud of you. Thank you."

"Thank you, sir. I'm glad you got our people off the ship. I'm glad you lived."

"Couldn't have done it without you. Goodnight, Dr. Carter."

"Goodnight, sir."


	9. Chapter 9

"Kawalski was in trouble. I was about to move when the disturbance Sam and the Abydonians created gave us our window. We got our people and the teenager off the ship and joined the rebellion. We were successful and Ra and his ship were destroyed by the nuke one it left the atmosphere, sir," Jack said as he finished giving his debrief to General West.

West shook his head, "it sounds like you people had quite an adventure. Good work team. Dr. Carter, do you believe you and Dr. Langford would be able to calculate the other addresses based on the information you have?"

Sam nodded, "yes, sir. I'm convinced given some time we could begin generating a few addresses each week."

"Thank you. You are dismissed. I'll get this report to the president and we will speak again."

As they were leaving, Kawalski rubbed his head. "You okay, major?" Jack asked.

"My head is killing me colonel. Ra gave me one heck of a headache."

"Go to the infirmary and get yourself checked out. Can't have you out of commission long."

"Yes, sir." As Kawalski left, Jack looked over at Sam. She was in deep conversation with Dr. Langford. They hadn't really spoken much since their conversation the night before and he missed her already. Waking up with her so far away from him on their bed this morning had been a little painful. Jack might as well admit it, he had it bad. If the government decided to continue to pursue the stargate program, he wanted to be a part of it, so he was going to have to put his desires on the back burner and be professional. Maybe, eventually, she'd at least reconsider their friendship. It wasn't everything he wanted, but maybe it was enough. This woman deserved more than a worn out old soldier anyway.

Jack was working on his report when he heard the klaxons. He ran to the gate room and was shocked to find Kawasaki standing in front of the gate with a blank look on his face. Something wasn't right here. "Kawalski," he said in a commanding tone.

Kawalski shook his head. "What's going on, sir? How did I get here?"

Jack sighed. This wasn't good. "Let's get you to the infirmary, major."

The next few hours were insane. After arriving in the infirmary and bring met by Dr. Warner, Kawalski was immediately put through an MRI. Jack was standing with Dr. Warner when he looked at the resonance images. Even without a medical degree, Jack knew exactly what he was seeing. One of those snake-like things was inside of his friend. It was actually wrapped around the base of his skull and spinal column. "Doctor, I killed one of these on Ra's ship. It was inside the stomach of one of the jaffa. How did it get inside Kawalski?"

"Colonel, there's a mark on the major's back. I saw it when I was examining him. This is really unusual, colonel. I'm not entirely sure how to help him."

As they were speaking, Kawalski sat up on the bed. His eyes flashed. Jack suddenly had a big clue what they were dealing with and he pressed the emergency button before attempting to restrain Kawaski. It took Jack and half a dozen SFs to get him restrained. "You will let me go or die," Kawaski said in a voice that was not his own. "Bow before your god."

"Oh, I don't think so. What are you and where do you get off hijacking my friend's body? Let him go."

"This is my body now. I am your god."

"See, I don't think so. I destroyed Ra. Want to join him or are you going to start talking?" Jack demanded as West, Sam, and Dr. Langford arrived.

"I will avenge my father and destroy your world."

Sam spoke up, "your father? Are you saying Ra had one of you inside of him?"

"We take what we want. We are gods. Have you not heard of the goa'uld? We are your superiors. Bow and show your respect woman, and I may make you my queen. You are a beautiful prize."

"Watch it, buddy. Dr. Carter isn't your prize. She's a respected member of this facility. Show some respect. There will be no bowing from us. Release my friend and we might let you live a few more minutes."

"You will die first then your woman will be mine. I've taken my hosts memories. I will hold her in my arms and take her to my bed by the end of this week just as you did on Abydos." Sam's face was crimson with embarrassment. Jack's was red with anger. As quickly as he spoke the words, Kawasaki regained control. "It happened again, didn't it? What's going on with me? Did that hand device fry something in head?"

Jack answered, "Kawalski, it wasn't the hand device. I don't know how to tell you this but there's a thing inside you, kind of a snake-like thing called a goa'uld. It keeps taking over your body. It says it's Ra's son."

Dr. Warner brought a picture of the MRI to Kawalski. He looked it over and panicked. "You got to get that thing out of me doc."

Dr. Warner replied, "we'll do our best, major. I can't make any guarantees at this time. This is unchartered territory."

Kawalski's eyes flashed again, "soon, I will completely take over this host. You have lost. Nothing of the host remains. Release me now."

"SFs keep an eye on our prisoner. Colonel O'Neill, Dr. Warner, Dr. Langford, and Dr. Carter, let's meet in the briefing room now."

Jack and Sam stayed back a bit from the group. "I'm sorry, Dr. Carter. I'll explain the situation to General West and Dr. Langford. I didn't expect that to come out. Kawalski would never have said a word."

"I understand, colonel. That thing inside of him, the goa'uld, is the enemy, not Major Kawalski." Jack nodded and they entered the briefing room.

"Dr. Warner, can you remove the goa'uld from Major Kawalski?" General west asked once they were all seated.

"To be honest, sir, this is uncharted territory. I may be able to remove it but I can't guarantee I can save Major Kawalski's life. There's also a very high probability he will be a quadriplegic."

"If there is anything you need or anyone you need to assist, just say the word, Dr. Warner. In the meantime, we need to get as much information from this goa'uld as possible. Colonel O'Neill, I want you to interrogate him thoroughly. I'll also question him, and I will get my second in command Colonel Hammond to speak with him as well. The priority is saving our man, but we need to use this opportunity wisely."

"Yes, sir," Jack replied.

"Dr. Warner, you should get back to your patient. I need to speak with the rest of you privately." Dr. Warner quickly left the room, and Jack had a feeling he knew what was coming next. "I'm sorry Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Carter, but I need to ask. Did you engage in inappropriate activity together on this mission?"

Jack looked at Sam then answered for both of them. "Sir, there was a misunderstanding with the locals. They tried to give me a wife," Jack paused. He noticed Catherine's eyes growing wide. "Dr. Carter attempted to handle the situation diplomatically, but the leader, Kasuf misunderstood and though Dr. Carter was my wife. We shared quarters to avoid diplomatic incidents."

"Thank you, colonel. I assure you there will be talk, but I had to ask. I personally have no issue with romance between my military officers and my civilians. It happens quite frequently, but had you engaged in intimate relations off world, I would have to take disciplinary action against Colonel O'Neill. Is there anything you need to add, Dr. Carter?"

"Colonel O'Neill told you the basics of the situation. We felt it was best to go along with the misunderstanding. Nothing happened," Sam said softly, "our relationship is strictly professional."

"Thank you, Dr. Carter. If you and Colonel O'Neil will excuse us, I need to speak with Dr. Langford privately before I speak with the president." As Sam and Jack stood to leave, General West added, "Dr. Carter, it would probably be best if you stayed away from Major Kawalski until after the operation is complete."

"Of course, sir," Sam replied.

Once they were in the hallway, Jack looked at Sam. "Would you like lunch in the commissary? Strictly professionally, of course. If there are any questions you can think of that you'd like me to ask the goa'uld, we could discuss them."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Colonel O'Neill. Let's not give the base grapevine any extra ammunition. If I think of anything important, I'll send you a memo. I'm sure you are more than capable of interrogating him without my input."

Jack nodded and they went their separate ways. This was just great. Thanks to that slimy snake in his best friend's head, Sam would sure enough be avoiding him. It was bad enough that she wanted to keep things strictly business, but now it appeared she didn't want to be seen with him at all. Suddenly not hungry, Jack decided to check in with Dr. Warner. They had to find a way to help Kawalski. That was the priority.


	10. Chapter 10

Sam decided to hide out in her lab. She needed to recalibrate the dialing sequence if they were going to start calculating the addresses from the Abydos cartouche anyway, and she needed something to focus on other than poor Major Kawalski. What happened to him could have happened to any of them. Of course, she also didn't want to wonder around the base. By now, the gossip mill was likely going crazy. She and Jack, no, she mentally corrected herself, Colonel O'Neill, would be the source of gossip for awhile. She really should have just let him deal with the alien marriage alone. Now, not only were they the talk of the base but she couldn't get him out of her head. She'd always been a sucker for lost pups, and the colonel definitely qualified. She was going to have to keep her distance from him somehow. Maybe he'd decide to go back to his retirement, but Sam kind of doubted it. He seemed pretty vested in the program now that he knew there was a real threat out there. He'd probably get himself killed on some alien planet and he'd consider it justice because of his son. No, she had to nip these feelings of hers in the bud now.

There was a knock on her door before Catherine stepped inside. "I had a feeling I'd find you here," the older woman said with a smile. "I picked us up some lunch. Blue jello for dessert, of course."

""Thank you," Sam said returning the smile. "I was just working on some calculations."

"And hiding out, I'm sure."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Only to your friends. I'm sure the threat of being made a goa'uld queen was a little nerve wracking."

Sam nodded and hoped Catherine wasn't going to bring up the little charade she and the colonel had put on while they were in Abydos up. "I know it's not Major Kawalski threatening me, but it is a little disconcerting."

"Yes, and being romantically linked to Colonel O'Neill so publicly probably didn't help either," Catherine said as she took a bite of her sandwich.

"Um, well, what I said in the briefing room was the truth. Nothing happened. We were just trying to handle an awkward misunderstanding."

"I'd believe that if the poor colonel wasn't making doe eyes at you from the moment you returned through the gate, Sam. Maybe nothing happened, but I have a feeling it's not because neither of you were interested."

"Catherine-"

"No, listen to me for a minute, Sam. I'm not upset with you. In fact, I have no problem with you and Colonel O'Neill pursuing a romantic relationship. I, for one, think you need something in your life besides work. I just want you to be happy." She paused. "I was young and in love once. Ernest was as invested in the stargate program as I was and we were quite a team. It ended badly. We managed to get the gate open, but we really didn't know what we were doing. Ernest went through and never returned. I've never stopped missing him, but I wouldn't take back one minute of the time we had together. Don't cheat yourself out of something wonderful because of a little gossip."

"Catherine, it's a little more complicated with Colonel O'Neill. He lost his son. He was suicidal when I met him then he was all to willing to sacrifice himself on the mission. I can't give into feelings for someone like him. I just can't go through that right now. It's better if we just keep things professional."

"I see. Can you do that Sam, keep it professional? Because, I have it on very good authority he's going to be around awhile."

"Yes, the stargate is important. This threat is real. You saw Kawalski. If there really are others like Ra and they showed up here on ships, we wouldn't be able to defend ourselves."

"Okay," Catherine said, "if you need to talk, I'm here."

"Thank you. Want me to show you how far I've gotten after lunch?"

"Please."

Sam and Catherine made a lot of progress that afternoon, but Sam was very happy to get away at the end of the day. She needed some distance from Jack O'Neill and the whole situation. Being home with her cat on her lap and a cup of chamomile tea in her hand helped a little. Life sure had gotten complicated all of the sudden. Why couldn't West have sent someone else to that cabin?

The next morning, Sam was paged to the observation room in the infirmary. Dr. Warner had already begun the procedure of removing the symbiote from Major Kawalski when she arrived. She stood beside Catherine and as far away from Jack as possible. Jack looked nervous. Part of her wanted to reach out to him, but she just couldn't make herself do it. The procedure didn't take nearly as long as she would have expected, and soon she was back in her lab.

"Dr. Carter," one of the SFs said after knocking on her door, "Major Kawalski is awake and would like to speak with you."

"Of course," Sam said with a smile as she followed him to Kawalski's room.

Kawalski was sitting up with a smile on his face when Sam arrived. "Dr. Carter, I just wanted to apologize for my behavior."

"It wasn't you, Major Kawalski. It was the goa'uld," Sam assured him.

"Guys, would you mind giving us a minute?" Kawalski asked looking at the SFs who had been left to guard him. The men looked at Sam who nodded for them to go ahead and step out of the room. As soon as the door closed, the expression on Kawalski's face changed. He jumped up from the bed with his eyes flashing, "you foolish woman. Did you really think you could get rid of a god so easily.?The blending was already complete."

Sam tried to get to the door, but Kawalski got to her first. She struggled against him but she was no match for him. Throwing her over his shoulder, he used his other hand to quickly take out both guards. Sam must have blacked out because soon she found herself lying tied up on the gate room floor, and the gate was activated.

From her position, Sam saw Catherine and General West rush into the control room. She also saw Jack. He'd made it into the gate room before the blast doors closed. She scrambled to her feet, arms still bound, as Jack attacked Kawaski. "You're not taking her anywhere," Jack yelled.

"You fool," Kawalski shouted. "I'd have let you live another day."

They wrestled on the ramp with each taking the upper hand for a moment at a time. Sam watched in horror. She didn't want to watch Jack die. She got as close as she could in an effort to help, but Kawalski shoved her back down. As she fell, she bumped her head. She could feel the blood trickling down from a gash on her forehead and she didn't dare try to get back up. Her head was swimming, but she couldn't take her eyes off the battle in front of her. Finally, Jack managed to get Kawalski's head partially into the active stargate. "Shut it down," he shouted and Catherine shut down the gate. Kawalski fell dead on the ramp, and Jack ran to Sam. "Are you okay?" he asked as he untied her hands.

Sam nodded. "A little dizzy," she said trying to stand. "I'm sorry about Kawalski. He was your friend."

"My friend died on the table," Jack said scooping Sam into his arms. He looked up at the control room. "We need a medic."

Jack opted to carry Sam to the infirmary even though the med team brought in a stretcher. Sam didn't even bother complaining. It felt right to be in his arms even though she knew it only complicated their relationship further. He was alive, she was safe, and the goa'uld inside Kawaski was dead. She'd worry about the rest when her head stopped spinning.


	11. Chapter 11

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Jack asked as he entered General West's office.

"Have a seat Colonel O'Neill," General West said as he motioned toward the chair. Once Jack was seated, he continued, "I wanted to inform you that the president agrees with your assessment. The goa'uld threat is a big concern, so we are going to continue the stargate program. We are setting up twelve SG teams for starters with the mission of assessing threats, looking for allies, and acquiring weapons and technology to protect this planet. What do you think about that, Jack?"

"General, I think it's the only logical move. We can't bury our heads in the sand now that we know what's out there. I'd like to be on one of those teams, sir."

General West smiled, "I had a feeling you'd be interested, Jack. So, I take it you're ready to officially come out of retirement?"

"Yes, sir. Perhaps my decision to retire was a bit premature."

"You were hurting, Jack. I hope this new mission will give you something else to focus on but I understand how hard it is to lose a child. I've been there myself." West pointed to a picture of a teenage boy on his desk. "Car accident first semester of college. You never get over it, but you do keep going. You'll make it."

"I'm sorry for your loss, sir. I had no idea."

"It's not common knowledge. Jack, about those SG teams, I don't plan to put you on one."

"With all due respect, sir, I've been out there. We killed Ra. I killed the goa'uld on this base. I think I've proven I can handle the threat," Jack implored.

"Oh, I agree. You have a better understanding of what we are up against than perhaps anybody on this planet." He paused, "I'm retiring, Jack. My health isn't what is needs to be for the task we are facing. I can't do wartime again, Jack, and this is a war. My heart isn't in good shape. I need someone who gets it to take my place. The president and I are in agreement. We want you, General O'Neill."

"General," Jack repeated. "Sir, I'm honored but I don't think I'm the right man for the job. I'm just a soldier."

West laughed. "All generals were once just soldiers, Jack. You'll be fine."

"I don't know what to say, sir."

"Just say yes. We've got a lot to discuss. The sooner you agree to take the job, the sooner we can get this program off the ground."

"Yes, sir. I'll do my best."

Jack was a bit numb when he finally left the general's office. This was unexpected and he was still not sure he was the man for the job, but he was bound and determined to do his best. He didn't consciously walk to Sam's lab, but he found himself there just the same. It had been about weeks since her head injury and she was back at work. He'd only spoken to her a few times in passing, but Jack suddenly realized she was the one he wanted to tell first. Heck, she was the only one he really wanted to tell.

"Do you have a moment, Dr. Carter?"

Sam looked up from her computer. She had that deer in the head lights look he was becoming all to familiar with as she turned his direction. "Of course, Colonel O'Neill. What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to inform you the president has given us a go. We'll be sending teams through as your team gets us addresses."

"That's good news, sir. Is it safe to assume you'll be sticking around for awhile? I guess you're anxious to get out there and avenge Major Kawalski."

"This isn't about revenge, doctor. We have a responsibility to get the intel and technology we need to protect the people of Earth." He paused and smirked, "of course, if we happen to get even with a few of those snakes while we are at it then I won't complain." Sam smiled what Jack considered a sad smile. "I actually won't be out in the field personally. West is retiring. They want me to take over the base. It even comes with a star. I never thought I'd make it this far. General wasn't on my bucket list. I've always stuck it to the man. Now, I'm going to be the man." Jack raised his eyebrows.

Sam smiled a megawatt grin. "Wow, that's unexpected. I think you'll do great, sir."

"So, would you like to get a bite of dinner and celebrate?" he asked, hoping the smile meant he had a chance.

Sam frowned, "I can't. I've got dinner plans tonight. I was actually just getting ready to go home and get ready."

"Awe, I see. Sorry to keep you from your plans. Have a good time."

"Thank you, sir. I'll see you tomorrow."

Jack left the lab wondering exactly what Sam's dinner plans involved. Did she have a date? And, why on earth did the idea of Sam on a date bother him so much. She'd made it perfectly clear their relationship was purely professional. He really needed to get her out of his head. He'd walked almost all the way back to his office when he saw General West and a familiar face he hadn't seen in years.

"Dr. Wright, this is soon to be General Jack O'Neill. He'll be taking over this facility as soon as I retire next month."

Jack smiled, "We actually know each other quite well, general. How have you been, Dana?"

The beautiful blonde headed, blue eyed doctor smiled then gave Jack a big hug. "I'm good, Jack. It's so good to see you. How long has it been? Five, six years?"

Jack opted out of the Charlie discussion and instead agreed it had been awhile. General West left and they made small talk. "I was thinking about grabbing a steak to celebrate my new promotion. Why don't we make it a double celebration? CMO isn't exactly shabby, Dana, especially at your age. I'm impressed."

"Sounds great. Let me get checked into my hotel and we'll have dinner," she said with another smile. "I'm glad well be working together again. Of course, as general, hopefully I won't have to patch you up quite as often."

Jack laughed. "I'm sure I'll get myself into a scrape or two. Don't worry." He paused, "I just bought a place in town. My spare bedroom still has quite a few boxes, but the bed is clear. You can crash at my place until you find what you need."

"That sounds great. Doctors are a little OCD. I might even help you and Sarah unpack."

"There's no Sarah anymore. We divorced. If that makes you uncomfortable then I completely understand. I know you were close friends."

"I'm sorry, Jack. I really hate to hear it. But, if it's still open, your extra room sounds much better than a hotel."

"Great, let's get you settled and eat. I'm starving."

In all honesty, Jack was glad to have Dana around. They'd been friends a long time. Her late husband was one of his best friends. Jack had been the one holding his hand when he died, and he'd been the one to tell Dana of her husband's sacrifice. Jack honestly used to be a little jealous of Greg and Dana's relationship. They were both military. There was no need for secrets, no need to protect her from the realities of war. Sarah had always been a little fragile. Even things that weren't top secret would have upset her, so Jack kept things to himself. If he could convince Sam to give him a chance, they'd be able to have the kind of open, honest relationship he craved.

They decided on O'Malley's. As they were headed to a booth, Jack's heart dropped. There was Sam and a good looking man around her age. They were laughing and joking around. He ached a little remembering their meal back in Minnesota. Seeing her out with this guy made his skin crawl, but he knew he'd been spotted so he stopped to say hello.

"Dr. Carter," Jack said with a forced smile.

"Good evening, sir," Sam said a little coolly. "Mark, this is," she looked at Jack, "do I say Colonel or General O'Neill?"

"Until the ceremony, colonel is just fine."

"Colonel Jack O'Neill, this is my brother Mark. He's in the area on business. We don't see each other often."

This was good news. He was her brother. Jack smiled. "Very nice to meet you Mark. Your sister is a brilliant scientist. We think a lot of her on base." Jack became conscious of Dana who was still standing beside him. "Dr. Carter, meet Dr. Wright. She's our new CMO and an old friend of mine."

"Please call me Dana," Dana said with a smile. "I've heard a lot about you, Dr. Carter. I'm looking forward to getting better acquainted."

"Sam, please," Sam said with a weak smile.

"Well, we better let you get back to catching up with your brother. It was nice to meet you, Mark." Jack led Dana to a nearby booth, relieved that Sam was just visiting her brother. He still had a chance. He just needed to convince her he wasn't going anywhere and that he wasn't always the broken man she met at the cabin.


	12. Chapter 12

Sam's evening was officially shot. Jack had just asked her out a few hours ago. She was actually disappointed when she had to say no. If he was really sticking around and wasn't going to be risking his life every day in combat then there was no reason she couldn't at least explore these feelings a little bit. He did seem different, happier. But, here he was out with another woman, a beautiful woman, just hours later. Maybe she had read him right the first time. Maybe he was a womanizer. Sam couldn't get over the irritation that not only was his date pretty but apparently a new addition to the base. If she was CMO, she had to be military. There were rules about this kind of thing for a reason. What was he thinking dating a woman in his command? She'd definitely made the right call in trying to stay professional. What a mess!

As much as Sam wanted to just mope around the rest of the evening, her brother didn't come around often. He was crashing on her couch, so she had to at least attempt to be hospitable. Mark noticed the change in her mood. "So, the new boss seemed nice. He seems to value your expertise," Market commented.

"Yeah," Sam said noncommittally. "We haven't worked together long, but I'm sure he'll do a good job."

"He doesn't really seem like the kind of guy who'd work in deep space telemetry. He seems more like a man of action to me."

"Well, it is a military facility. I'm sure he's seen his share of action. Maybe he's looking forward to the change of pace."

"Yeah," Mark agreed. "Or, maybe the pretty doctor wants him home more often."

"Wait, you mean Dr. Wright? Mark, I've never even heard her name before tonight. I seriously doubt she weighed into this decision."

"Oh, I guess I misread the body language. She's a beautiful woman out with a general. I'm sure she has no plans to be a general's wife." Sam's face went red. "That's what I thought. How long have you been crushing on your boss, Sam?"

"It's not like that, Mark," Sam tried to explain. "Our relationship is purely professional."

"Sure," Mark said with a grin. Sam threw the pillow she was carrying at him. ""Well, Colonel Purely Professional sure seemed relieved I was your brother. I don't think the good doctor has a chance if you decide to make your move."

"Goodnight, Mark," Sam said as she quickly exited to her bedroom so he wouldn't see her blush.

The next few weeks were a little hectic. Soon the colonel was the general. Sam didn't see a lot of Jack. Of course, it probably had something to do with the fact that she was avoiding him like the plague. She did see Dr. Wright pretty regularly, and she'd heard through the base grapevine that the doctor had been staying at Jack's house. At least she was no longer the primary topic of gossip. Now, Jack was considered romantically linked to Dana. That should have eased Sam's mind, but it really irritated her. She was jealous. She could admit that much to herself. She'd certainly never admit it to anyone else.

When the general sent out the memo listing the members of the SG teams, Sam could not avoid Jack for even a moment longer. Her name wasn't on the list. She marched straight into Jack's office, much to Walter Harriman's frustration. Jack was standing beside his desk talking to Dana. Dana took one look at Sam then excused herself quickly. Looking at Jack, she said, "Don't forget our appointment at 3," then she looked Sam's direction, "have a good afternoon Dr. Carter."

"What can I do for you Dr. Carter?" Jack asked as he moved to sit behind his desk.

Sam sighed, "I just read your memo, sir."

"Ah, yes, the memo. I'm guessing you weren't pleased with my choices for the teams," Jack replied, fiddling with his pencil.

"Dr. Farmer and Dr. Harrison are on teams, sir. They've never been out there. I've seen the enemy. I think I was useful on Abydos."

"You were very useful," Jack agreed.

"Why aren't I on the list?"

"Why aren't I on the list, sir? You wanted professional remember?" Jack corrected.

"Dr. Carter, it's nothing personal. Farmer was military reserves. Harrison is a second degree black belt. They can handle themselves out there."

"I think I handled myself pretty well. The Abydonians and I saved your butt, sir."

"Yes, you did and I've told you before that you did good. You also violated my orders and acted like a maverick."

"So, this is some kind of punishment."

"No, Carter. If anything, I need mavericks out there who can think on their feet. You're a liability, Sam. Remember Kawalski? He took you down awfully easily. If you had hand to hand training, you could have handled the situation a little better. As it is, you are a beautiful woman who can't help but attract attention. My men don't need to have to worry about your safety."

"That's the most sexist thing I've ever heard, sir. Are you kidding me?" Sam practically screamed.

"I guess that didn't quite come out right. Come here. This memo hasn't been sent yet. I was interrupted before I finished typing it." Sam was pretty sure she knew who had distracted him, but she joined him at the computer. "Your name is on this list. This is the list of personnel who may occasionally be needed off world. You'll be training in hand to hand with Ferretti three days per week, and I want you to clock at least as many hours each week at the shooting range. When I'm satisfied you can hold your own without endangering yourself or anyone else, I'll send you out there. That's how it has to be, Sam."

Sam nodded. Some of her anger dissipated, but she was still a little miffed. "I understand sir. I apologize for my outburst. It won't happen again."

"Well, Dr. Carter, if making you mad is the only way I can see you, I may have to attempt to make you angry more often." He paused. Sam was sire he noticed her face flushing. "So, I was headed to lunch before Dr. Wright arrived. Join me."

"I really shouldn't, sir."

"Oh, it wasn't a request. I need an update on the dialing system and Dr. Langford is taking a personal day. We'll call it a working lunch. Besides, I hear the rumor mill has moved on from the infirmary incident. Apparently, my love life fascinates these people."

"You know, you could try not dating co-workers, sir."

"Huh?" Jack looked a little puzzled, but Sam really didn't want to get into his relationship with Dr. Wright.

"I wonder what they have on the menu today?" she asked changing the subject.

"I don't even care as long as there's cake," Jack said with a smile.

They had just sat down in the cafeteria when Dr. Wright arrived. "Mind if I join you?" she asked. Jack nodded and she took the seat beside him. Suddenly, Sam felt like a third wheel, but Dana didn't seem to notice. "I think I finally have things organized in the infirmary. I'm not really sure how they got anything done with the old system. It was atrocious."

"Well," Jack said with a smile, "you sure can organize things." He looked at Sam, "this woman has managed to completely unpack my house and even get some pictures on the wall. It looks great. You'll have to come over for a barbecue soon, Sam. I may get the whole Abydos gang over to unwind before we start sending people through the gate again."

Sam was absolutely positive she'd have other plans whenever that event took place. There was no way she was going to go watch Jack and the doctor play house, but she wasn't about to get into that right now. "Sounds good, sir," she lied.

"So, Dr. Langford says you think you have a few addresses for me. Is the cartouche coming in pretty handy?" Jack asked.

"Yes, sir. We are right on track. Our team will be ready when you are, sir. We've actually spent quite a bit of time working on the MALP this week."

"MALP? What's that?" asked Dana.

"Carter's your woman for the technical things, Dana. She's brilliant at that sort of techno babble stuff," Jack bragged.

Dana laughed. "Jack speaks very highly of you, Sam. He's told me all about your exploits on Abydos. I'm very impressed. He also told me about your visit to his cabin. I'm really grateful you were able to help him get him out of there and help him begin to move forward with his life. So about this MALP, what is it?"

"Mobile Analytic Laboratory Probe," Sam answered. "It allows us to collect telemetry about the planet before sending our people through the gate. We've made some improvements. We'll also be ready to install the iris within the next few days, General O'Neill."

"Fantastic," Jack said taking a bite of cake.

"Fascinating," Dan replied. "Well, I better get back to work. We should do lunch again Sam. It was very informative. And, Jack, 3 o'clock. Don't be late. You have to have your physical just like everyone else."

"Yes ma'am, but no needles," Jack said with a smile. "So, Dr. Carter, thanks for eating lunch with me. Any chance I can talk you into letting me take you to dinner this weekend?"

Sam was aghast. His girlfriend wasn't even out the door and Jack was asking her out. "What about Dr. Wright, sir?"

"Oh, I was thinking just us. She's going away for the weekend anyway. She has to finish packing up her place. Are you afraid to have dinner alone with me? We could always invite Catherine or Ferretti, but I'd really rather it be just us. We were friends, I think. I'd like to be friends again. Maybe we could even see where that leads if you know what I mean. I think we had something special. I'd like to get it back."

"General O'Neill, I don't think dinner is a good idea. I don't know what you're playing at but I'm not about to get mixed up in the middle of it. I think it's time I got back to my lab, sir," Sam declared before storming out of the cafeteria. This man was not right in the head if he thought it was acceptable to ask her out just because his girlfriend was going out of town. He had a lot of nerve.

If Sam had bothered looking back at Jack, she'd have seen one very confused general shaking his head trying to figure out what went wrong. Instead, she went straight to her lab and tried to calm down. For the first time since discovering the stargate program, Sam was honestly considering leaving.


	13. Chapter 13

Sam enjoyed her sparring lessons with Ferreti way more than she expected, and she was a quick study. She also did her time on the shooting range. She read every report the SG teams submitted in order to be ready. She desperately wanted to go back through the gate. Sure, a month earlier, she had seriously considered leaving the mountain and getting as far away from Jack O'Neill as humanly possibly, but she just couldn't do it. This project was important, and she wanted to be a part of it.

Sam was just getting dressed in the changing room after one of those sparring sessions when Dr. Wright came through the door. "Sam, it's good to see you. It's been weeks. I don't know how we keep missing each other."

Sam knew they'd only missed each other through her own careful planning, but she decided that wouldn't be the best thing to say. "It's been pretty hectic lately."

"So true," Dana said with a smile. "I am glad I caught you today. My engagement party is Friday night at O'Malley's. You have to be there. There are so few women on this base, and I refuse to be stuck with all these soldier boys. It starts at 7. I won't take no for an answer."

Sam hoped she didn't look at shocked as she felt, and she knew it would be career suicide to miss the general's engagement party even if he was a womanizing jerk. She had no choice. She put on what she hoped was a sincere enough looking smile and said, "I'll be there."

"Wonderful!"

Sam wanted to warn the doctor about her fiancé, but she really didn't know what to say. In fairness, this woman had been nothing but nice to her. This wasn't Dana's fault. "Well, I guess I better get back to work," Sam said excusing herself.

Friday came way sooner than Sam wanted. She really considered bailing on the engagement party. Actually, she did work very late, but she didn't want to deal with the aftermath of skipping the event. It was about 6:50 when Sam got on the elevator. "Hold that elevator, please," came an all to familiar voice.

"General O'Neill, you're working late. You're never going to make it to the party on time," Sam said as he hopped on the elevator.

"SG4 was late. I just wanted to make sure everyone was okay before heading out. As long as I make at least an appearance, it'll be fine."

Sam was aghast. "An appearance? I'd say you should make more than an appearance, sir. I can get by with an appearance. You should be by her side all evening."

"By her side all evening? I don't think that's necessary, Carter. Besides, I took them out to celebrate Tuesday night."

"Excuse me? Did you say them?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I took Dana and Mike out to celebrate the other night. He's a great guy. He didn't move here until Dana had the house. He's a cop. He just transferred to the local police force."

Sam was gob smacked. "Wait a minute, you aren't marrying Dr. Wright."

"Um, no. Where did you get that idea, Carter?" Jack asked as they exited the elevator.

"Well, oh Jack," Sam paused as Jack raised his eyebrows. "I think I owe you an apology. You asked me to celebrate your promotion then I saw you having dinner with Dr. Wright the same night. You're together a lot. She was staying at your house then you asked me out again. I thought-"

"You thought I was a real piece of work," Jack said laughing a little. "So, you've been avoiding me because you thought I was with Dana. Well, that's just great. I have to admit it's a little funny, too. I was so relieved when I realized you were out with your brother that night and not on a date."

"I'm so embarrassed. Can you forgive me?"

"I get it, Carter," he paused. "So, want to ride with me to the party? Maybe we can attempt this friend thing again?"

"Sounds good, Jack. Let's go."

Jack shook his head as he opened the passenger door of his truck for Sam. He had been wracking his brain trying to figure out what had her avoiding him this time, and she was jealous. Oh, yes, she was at least a little interested in him. He'd settle her friendship for now, but he was suddenly feeling very positive about the future.

The party was actually very enjoyable. Sam seemed relaxed, and Jack made sure he was never far from her side. The last thing he wanted was another misunderstanding. They'd had more than enough of those to last a lifetime. He was honestly a little in awe of the fact that he'd managed to make this amazingly beautiful, intelligent woman jealous even if he hadn't exactly intended. He vowed to himself that he was going to make his intentions clear as soon as possible.

The biggest change in their relationship came the following Monday. Jack was about to head to lunch when he ran into Sam in the hallway. "General, I'm glad I caught you," she said smiling.

"What can I do for you Dr. Carter?"

"Well," she paused. "I was actually headed to the cafeteria and I thought I'd see if you'd like to tag along. I have a few ideas about the dialing sequence I thought I'd run past you."

Jack smiled. He'd already met with Dr. Langford that morning, and she had filled him in on the proposal. Of course, he suspected Sam knew that already. "Well, Carter, you happen to be in luck. I was just headed to lunch. Shall we?" he said motioning toward the cafeteria.

They never discussed the dialing computer during lunch. Instead, they laughed and talked about other things as they enjoyed their meal. Daily lunch became kind of their thing. He started stopping by her lab just before noon each day and they walked together. Sometimes others joined them. Dana and Sam seemed to have a burgeoning friendship, and Dr. Langford often tagged along. If SG1 were around, Hammond, Ferretti, Phillips, and Farmer frequently would join them, but it was always him and Sam. They sat side by side for one hour everyday Monday through Friday, and Jack really liked this new development.

He was just walking back to his office after one of their lunches when Dana chased him down the hallway. "General, have a minute?"

"Of course. What can I do for today?" Jack said with a smile.

"It's about Dr. Farmer. He had a little accident on the basketball court over the weekend. He's sprained his ankle pretty severely. I'm afraid he won't be able to go on tomorrow's mission."

Jack laughed. "Are you telling me our first job affecting injury on an SG team happened in the gym, doc?"

Dana giggled. "Apparently, sir."

"Thank you. I'll find a temporary replacement. Let me know when he's able to get back out there, doctor."

"I will, sir."

Jack turned around and headed for Sam's lab. "So, I hear you're Ferretti's top pupil, Sam."

"Well, I'm learning quite a bit. I do understand why you made the decision, sir," Sam said with a smile.

"Think you could spare a few minutes to spar with me?"

"Spar with you?" Sam said with a small smile.

"Yeah, we'll even make it interesting. If you pin me, I'll take you to dinner this weekend."

Sam raised her eyebrows but the smile didn't leave her face. "And if you pin me?"

"You'll have to take me to dinner," he said with a smirk.

"You're on sir. Let me just shut a few things down. I'll meet you in fifteen minutes."

Jack thought that conversation had went even better than he'd planned. Whoever won, he'd have am evening out with Sam, and he was very anxious to progress their relationship along a bit. Soon enough, they were sparring on the mat. He took it a little easy on her, but he still put her through the paces. He had to know if she was ready before he could send her back off world. She held her own nicely, and he was pretty impressed. He was actually so impressed by absolutely everything about her that when she licked her lips before tripping him, he lost his focus. She took full advantage of his temporary daze and pinned him. Oh, man, did he enjoy being pinned by her.

Realizing their close proximity, Sam moved off of him and smiled. "Guess your buying, sir."

Jack smiled. "I can't wait."

"Just so you know, Jack, I don't 'spar' on the first date," Sam said with a mischievous smile.

"Noted," Jack grinned. "One more thing I need to talk to you about and you can get back to your doohickeys, Farmer sprained his ankle. Are you comfortable taking his place on tomorrow's mission?"

"Are you serious? On SG1?"

"You're ready, Sam. Briefing is tomorrow morning at 8."

"Yes sir. Thank you."

Jack watched her walk away. He knew she was excited about another trip through the gate, but he was much more excited about the weekend. She had called it a date. Things were definitely moving in the right direction. He whistled all the way to the dressing room. Life was getting pretty sweet.


	14. Chapter 14

I took a whole lot of liberty with this one folks. Remember, in this universe the stargate program started right after Abydos. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

P3X-797 was definitely nothing like Abydos. SG1 with Dr. Carter and SG3 exited the gate into darkness. Sam had never used night vision goggles before but she was really grateful for them now. It was odd being off world without Jack in command, but Hammond was a good man. He was a seasoned soldier who had the respect of every man and woman on the base. And, of course, Dr. Phillips was there. He and Sam worked well together. Sam was really excited to be off world again.

Leaving SG3 to guard the gate, SG1 walked a short distance before running into a group of natives. These guys were definitely different. Phillips quickly pointed out their larger brow ridge. "These people aren't quite human. This is huge. They could be the missing link between _homo erectus_ and _homo sapiens._ Colonel Hammond, I'd like to try to communicate with them."

Hammond shook his head, "Son, I'm not sure that's a good idea. They look pretty aggressive at the moment. I think we'll keep walking and see what else we find."

"But Colonel-" Phillips began.

"I'm sorry, Phillips. I'd rather find a smaller group, a hopefully less agitated group, before we try to set up a dialogue."

With that, SG1 moved on a few clicks. Suddenly the darkness became light. "This is different," Phillips said removing his goggles.

"I'd be very curious to look into the scientific reasoning for the sudden change," Sam said removing her own goggles.

"Look alive, people. You never know what we are going to find," Hammond began before seeing people dressed in solid white with their faces covered. "Guess we'll be talking to locals soon enough, Phillips. Everybody stay alert."

"Greetings my lord," one of the men said to Hammond as he removed his face covering.

"My lord?" Hammond asked.

"You are untouched and not from here therefore you came through the ring. Only the gods travel through the ring. I am High Chancellor Tuplo. This is my daughter Melosha. We are honored to have our gods among us again."

"It is a pleasure to meet you both, but we are not gods. We are just explorers," Hammond said motioning to the rest of the team. "We are here looking for allies-for friends.

"You mentioned the word 'again'. How long has it been since your gods have been here?" Sam asked. She really didn't relish the idea of dealing with the goa'uld on this particular trip.

Melosha answered, "It has been many years. They have not visited since my grandparents were very young. They have not visited since the Heelk'sha curse took many of our people. We hoped you were our gods and you had come to help us."

"Heelk'sha? Is that god's of the earth?" Phillips asked.

"Yes, they are evil gods," Tuplo answered. "They need only touch one of our people to turn them into a beast. The touched live in the dark. You must stay away from them if you truly are not gods."

"Gods we are definitely not," Hammond said with finality.

Tuplo insisted on feeding the team, and they learned quite a bit about the people as they ate. The meal had to be cut short when SG3 radioed that they were being attacked. SG1 rushed back to the gate and helped secure it then they headed back to Earth. Sam had a heavy heart as they walked into the gate room. The idea that these touched people were once like Tuplo and the others made her wish there was something they could do to help. She made a mental note to look into the matter with Dana later and headed to the briefing room.

Jack smiled at her as she sat down. "Good to see you back safe and sound, Sam," he said with a smile. "Dinner tonight instead of waiting until the weekend?"

"Sounds good. I'm looking forward to collecting on my bet, sir," she said with a mischievous grin.

The briefing was rather long. Sam spoke to Jack about the benefits of going back to study the touched. "We could get a clearer understanding of the broca divide, sir."

"Broken what?" Jack asked. "That doesn't sound like a big honking space gun to me."

"Broca Divide, sir. Pierre Broca was a nineteenth century anthropologist who founded modern craniometry. We could study the brain and the cranium and compare the divide in intelligence between early species of mankind."

"It was also interesting to see people who live in a way similar to our own early Bronze Age," Phillips added.

""So, no big honking space guns?" Jack asked as he fiddled with his pen.

Sam smiled and shook her head. "Afraid not, sir."

"Okay. We're done. Everybody get checked out and cleaned up. Good job not getting killed out there. Next time, try to get me that gun, okay?"

Jack and Sam talked briefly once everyone else left and firmed up their evening plans. They were interrupted by the sound of a fight in the hallway. Two members of SG3 were mid-fist fight when they arrived. Jack and Hammond pulled them apart. Sam watched briefly then went to clean up. She wanted to get off base a little early and get ready for her date. She grinned a little. She really was looking forward to her date with Jack. As she headed toward the shower, the back of her neck started itching a bit, but it wasn't very bothersome. She forgot to mention it to Dana in her post mission physical. Of course, Dana had her hands full with SG3.

Jack got away from the base much later than he'd hoped thanks to the little situation with SG3. Talk about timing! He was very anxious to see Sam. He arrived at her house at 7:15. They'd planned on 7 o'clock, but he knew Sam would understand. She understood his position really well, and he was grateful.

He knocked on the door and waited. There wasn't an answer so he knocked again. He was just starting to get a little nervous when Sam answered the door. The first thing Jack noticed was that Sam wasn't exactly dressed for dinner. She was wearing a little, very little, tank top and equally little shorts that he could only assume were her pajama bottoms. She looked amazing to him. Heck, she looked better than his fantasies about her. As soon as the door opened, she pulled him into the living room, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him into the hottest kiss he'd ever experienced in his life.

When they finally broke for air, Jack looked into her lust-filled eyes. "Wow, that was unexpected."

"I want you," Sam said in a very husky voice and kissed him passionately again.

"So, no dinner first?" he asked with a grin. "What happened to no sparring on the first date?" he asked before kissing her again.

"I want you now. Don't you want me?" she asked shoving him onto her couch and climbing into his lap.

Jack was beginning to have trouble concentrating. Never in a million years would he have expected her to be this aggressive. He liked it. He continued kissing her thoroughly for a few minutes before noticing the change in her eyes. It was almost like she wasn't there with him. He thought about SG3 and what Sam and Phillips had said about the touched. Suddenly, her behavior made perfect sense. Crap, she wasn't herself. "Sam, stop!" he commanded pushing her off of him.

Sam wasn't interested in stopping. She grabbed his face and kissed him again. "Don't you want me?"

Jack took a deep breath and pulled her up again, restraining her. "Desperately, but not like this," he said with a grimace. It took all of his willpower to keep her restrained until a team could arrive and help him get her back to the base. Jack was sick with guilt. He'd nearly taken advantage of Sam. Why hadn't he noticed sooner? What if he hadn't noticed until much, much later? How on earth was he going to face her after this encounter? Crap, they had to figure this out and get her back to herself quickly so he could do some serious groveling.


	15. Chapter 15

Jack sighed as he walked out of the infirmary. It was spreading. Officially, all of SG1 and SG3 except Phillips were infected. He'd hoped to find Dana working hard on a cure, but she was sick, too. Apparently, she attacked Hammond in the same way Sam had, well, he hated to say attacked, him. It was a good thing it happened in the infirmary with witnesses since Hammond was also infected. Interestingly enough, Farmer was working on the case with a few nurses. Even Dr. Langford had succumbed to this crazy virus. Absolutely everyone of the medical doctors were now quarantined, the mountain was on lock down, and their only hope was an astrophysicist and a team of well-trained nurses. He scratched his neck as he walked to his office. This was stressful.

"General O'Neill, I need a word please," Phillips said running up behind him.

"What can I do for you, Major Phillips?"

"I'd like permission to return to the planet and get blood samples from the untouched, sir. Dr. Farmer seems to think there might be something in their blood that could help us find a cure."

"I can't risk sending anyone with you, Phillips. We know you're immune to this disease, but I don't have that guarantee with anyone else. Are you sure you can handle this alone?"

"Yes, sir. I don't see any other choice."

"You have a go."

"Thank you, sir," Phillips said with a nod. "Sir, you handled the situation with Sam very well."

"Sam," Jack repeated, "you mean Dr. Carter? Sam is a very familiar way to address a teammate, Phillips."

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to sound unprofessional. Dr. Carter and I have been close for a long time. I was just going to thank you for not taking advantage of the situation. She will be relieved. It could have been very upsetting for her when she got back to herself, sir."

Jack was mad. How close was Samantha to this guy? He grabbed Phillips by the collar. "Close! You may have been close to her before I came along, but now that's over. Samantha only wants to be close to me now. Got it? Stay away from her or I'll have you busted down to captain. Are we clear?"

"Sir, we aren't that kind of close. I just meant that she cares about you. She wouldn't want things to get out of hand and mess up your relationship when she wasn't in control. Maybe we should go to the infirmary. I'm not sure you're feeling quite like yourself."

Jack punched Phillips in the nose and was just about to hit him again when two SFS who were passing by jumped in and helped restrain him. Jack was furious. Phillips not only wanted his woman but he was trying to steal his command. Something had to be done. They manhandled him all the way to the infirmary, but apparently Farmer and the nurses were in on the coo. One of them came at him with a needle and suddenly Jack was woozy. He'd lost. Phillips had stolen everything from him.

Jacks next conscious, coherent memory was in an isolation room. He needed more of the sedative. He knew it, but the nurse was arguing that he'd already had more than she could give him. "More," he managed to mutter. "Give more."

"Sir, I can't. It could cause permanent brain damage."

"Do it!"

"Sir, please don't ask me to hurt you. We are working on a cure. We think a high dose of antihistamines might help. The untouched people on the planet had very high levels in their blood. Don't ask for more sedatives. I can't give them to you."

"Give anti," Jack couldn't get the rest of the word out of his mouth. "Test on me."

"Are you sure, sir?"

"Give."

Farmer came into the room. "We have to test it on somebody."

"Okay," the nurse whispered. She administered a high dose of antihistamines and Jack went to sleep.

When he woke up, he felt human again. He started banging on the door and eventually Farmer, Phillips, and the nurse arrived. "It worked," Phillips said with a smile. "Welcome back, sir."

Jack looked at the bandage over Phillips' nose. "Sorry about the nose, major," Phillips nodded. "Let's get our people taken care of and see what we can do for the folks on the planet."

"Yes, sir," Phillips replied.

Soon, the base was back to normal. Jack was in his office when Sam knocked on his door. "Come in."

"Hi," she said tentatively.

"Oh, Sam, you're awake. Feeling better?"

"Yes, sir," Sam paused. "I actually woke up a few hours ago. I wanted to come and see you, but-"

"I get it," Jack said with a frown. "Look, Sam, I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to take advantage of the situation. I understand if your angry. You have every right to scream or hit me or whatever, but I promise I really did stop as soon as I realized you weren't yourself."

"No, no, I'm not angry. I was coming to apologize to you and to thank you. You could have, well, it's not like I was exactly making saying no very easy."

"You weren't yourself. That's not how I'd want something like that to happen between us."

"I know. I'm just sorry you were put in that position, but I'm glad it was you."

"Well, off the record, me too. I don't think I could have handled it if it were Phillips or Hammond."

Sam raised he eyebrows, "Hammond, Jack?"

"Dana's pick apparently. She'd rather we not mention that one to Mike."

Sam giggled, "Yeah, I get it. For the record, I'm not sure I'd have been quite as strong in your shoes."

It was Jack's turn to raise his eyebrows. "Yeah?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah. Guess we were lucky you weren't sick yet."

"Right, lucky," he repeated. "So, are we okay?"

"Very, but I think you owe me dinner, well, dinner after I help deliver the anecdote to the people of P3X-797."

"Yes, definitely. I'll take you anywhere you want to go. A bet's a bet," Jack said with a smile.

"Anywhere?" Sam asked.

"Anywhere."

"Well, I think I'd like a burger and fries from that little place we ate the day we met."

"You mean Minnesota?" he asked. His heart was starting to race. Was she actually suggesting they go away together?

"You did say anywhere."

"I did."

"Can you get away for a long weekend?"

Jack didn't even bother trying to hide his grin. "Absolutely."

"Minnesota," Sam said wistfully and left the office.

Jack just stared at the door long after she was gone. He definitely hadn't expected that response. He was going to book a flight for two to Minnesota just as soon as he could gather himself enough to speak. This woman was something else, and he was the luckiest guy on any planet.

* * *

I'm sorry this one was so short, but I kind of figured Minnesota needed to be its own chapter. It wasn't easy to write the broca virus without Daniel and Janet. I hope I did it justice. I really felt like Sam needed to be the initiator of anything more intimate, and the cabin was a must after reading reports from AT9 about Amanda's dreams. If you don't know what I'm referring to then search #Icalledhimsir on twitter or the Sam and Jack ship thread on Gateworld. Every S/J shipper needs to hear that story and see those pictures.


	16. Chapter 16

Sam walked back to her lab trembling. Had she really just been that forward with Jack immediately after apologizing for being forward and throwing herself at him? Well, at least he hadn't said no to Minnesota. It was hard to believe it had been eight months since she first knocked on the door of his cabin. He was so different now. He would always miss his son, but now he acted like a man who wanted to live. And, after the little incident in her living room, she knew he was someone she could trust romantically. With her track record, that was big.

It didn't take much convincing to get the people of the light to see the value of the cure. After injecting a few of the touched and waiting for them to wake up normal, the untouched were happy to handle the rest of their population. They had more allies, and Sam was grateful but they weren't exactly the kind of allies who could help with the goa'uld. They were going to have to find some more advanced civilizations if they wanted to protect Earth.

Of course, those were things they'd have to work on another day. Once Sam arrived from her trip off world, Jack had the good news that he'd made arrangements for their weekend. They arrived at a little before five and rented a car. Soon, they were sitting in the same dive they'd enjoyed their first meal in and Jack was happily telling Sam stories about his many fishing adventures.

"So, are there any fish in your pond, Jack? Or, are you just the stereotypical fisherman who makes up stories about the one that got away?" Sam teased.

"Hey, I resent that remark. Of course there are fish. They're just really smart fish. Maybe they need an astrophysicist to throw her line in the water. I'm sure you're way smarter than them, Sam."

Sam laughed. "Well, I guess we'll have the answer by Monday. I haven't fished in years."

Jack got quiet a minute. "Look, I didn't want make any assumptions. I mean, we've had enough misunderstandings to last a lifetime. I didn't make reservations at the hotel, but I did make sure they had plenty of vacant rooms."

"If you're offering me an out, I don't need it. I'd rather stay at the cabin with you if that's agreeable," She paused and smiled. He was cute when he was trying to be a gentleman. "Start making some assumptions, Jack."

Unfortunately, Jack was taking a drink when she said those last few works and he spit the tea right out of his mouth. He was definitely clear on her intent now. She tried hard not to giggle. Jack, on the other hand, wiped his face and motioned for their waitress. "Check please." Sam couldn't contain her laughter any longer and started giggling. Jack just smirked.

The cabin was ready for them. Jack had a friend who watched over the place swing by with groceries, so they only needed to unpack. Soon, they were cuddled up on the couch with a few glasses of wine. Sam was extremely content. She was definitely in love with this man. Honestly, she wasn't sure she'd ever felt this much love and passion in any of her previous relationships. Just his presence made her feel warm inside. They hadn't even kissed other than when she'd attacked him during the virus, and Sam was determined that needed to change quickly. She put her hand on his cheek and turned his face toward her own. They gazed into each other's eyes, their lips inches apart, and she just willed him to understand her signals. Soon, his lips were on hers and they kissed for hours. Neither of them were in any rush to move their little make out session further along just yet. This was a moment they just wanted to savor. Sam knew they'd take things much further by the end of the weekend, and she was really looking forward to the increased physical intimacy but this was really nice. They needed this time exploring each other's lips. Sam had never realized so much passion could be shown in a kiss, and she loved every minute.

The next morning, they decided to see if the fish were biting. They sat side by side on the deck for hours, but Sam finally concluded that if there were fish in that lake, they definitely were smarter than her. It didn't take much convincing to draw Jack's attention back to her lips and soon they were kissing again. Soon, their relationship moved decidedly to the next level and they spent the rest of the weekend exploring their new closeness. By the time they boarded the plane on Monday, neither had any doubts about the other's feelings.

Sam was humming as she hopped in the elevator Tuesday morning. It was really early, so she was a little surprised to see Catherine. "Sam, I'm guessing the humming means you enjoyed your time off," he friend said with a smile.

"Most definitely. I never realized how relaxing fishing could be," Sam grinned.

"Well, you certainly look relaxed. I'm not sure fishing had much to do with it, but I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. It's about time you two got your act together. You deserve a little romance in your life. You work too hard."

Sam smiled at the genuine concern in her mentor's words. "I think I'm in love, Catherine. I didn't expect this when I met Jack. Do you think this is a mistake. The stargate program is important, and he is in charge of this base. What happens if we don't make it? I don't want to leave my work."

"Sam, you are invaluable to the work we do here. Both of you are professionals. If something happens, you'll figure it out," she paused, "besides, I've seen the way he looks at you. That man isn't going to let you go. He loves you, too. I have a feeling you're worrying about something that's not going to happen. You're good together. Enjoy it. Be happy."

"I am. I actually am, Catherine," Sam said with a megawatt smile.

With so much to catch up on, Sam didn't see Jack until he came to collect her for lunch. "I really missed having you beside me this morning," he said as he pulled her into a hug.

"I missed you, too."

"Would it be too soon to ask you to stay with me tonight? I know we just got back and you probably want to sleep in your own bed, but I really, really missed you. I had trouble sleeping without you."

"When you put it that way, I can't say no," Sam teased, "we can't have a sleepy, grumpy general running Earth's first line of defense. It could endanger the planet." She kissed him gently and they took off for lunch.

Soon, Sam was spending more time at Jack's than her house. She'd stop in to water the plants, feed the cat, and grab a change of clothes. Ordinarily in relationships, it would seem like things were moving fast and she'd back away a bit, but she didn't have any desire to back away from Jack. This felt right, and Sam was extremely happy.

Sam was busy working in her lab when Jack arrived. "Just had an interesting phone call from the pentagon."

"Oh, really?" Sam replied.

"Yep, apparently I'm needed in D.C. for a couple of meetings and a ball. How does a trip to Washington sound? I do need a plus one," he smirked.

"Now that sounds fun. I think you've got yourself a date."

"Sweet," he said as he kissed her cheek, "see you tonight." It was really a given she'd be there. Sam couldn't help but tingle inside realizing he didn't even bother asking anymore. She'd be there. They'd have dinner, he'd watch a little Simpsons, and she'd cuddle up beside him with her laptop. This was their life, and it was good.

The ballroom was beautifully decorated, but Jack thought it paled in comparison to Sam. She looked amazing in her black dress. He still couldn't believe he'd won her heart. She was amazingly beautiful, smarter than anyone he'd ever met, and she loved him. Jack still felt the need to pinch himself just to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

They stayed side by side as they schmoozed with the other generals at the ball. Jack didn't really mind the ribbing they gave him for his 'insignificant' job as head of Deep Space Telemetry. He knew the truth, and he knew how important his work was to the planet. Sam knew it was important, too. That was enough. They were standing to the side enjoying a romantic moment when Jack when he heard an unfamiliar voice call his love by name. "Samantha Carter, what are you doing here?" Jack turned his head toward the voice.

"Dad?" Sam shrieked.

"Hi Sam," the general grimaced. "Again, what are you doing here and who is this?" he asked, looking Jack up and down.

"General Jack O'Neill, at your service. And, you must be General Carter?" Jack said trying to put his best foot forward. By the look on Sam's face, Jack had a hunch her father had no idea of his existence and this conversation wasn't likely to be pleasant.


	17. Chapter 17

"Jack, this is my dad Jacob Carter," Sam said anxiously as she awkwardly hugged her father. "I came to D.C. with Jack, Dad. He had a few meetings to attend. I was going to call you before we left town."

"Sure," Jacob replied. "Of course, that brings up a whole new set of questions like why you came with General O'Neill?" Sam knew she'd been caught in that little lie. She really should have gotten her courage up and told her dad about Jack, but she knew he'd be critical of her dating the man in charge of her base. She also didn't want to face her general father who'd desperately wanted her to follow in his footsteps and join the Air Force and tell him she was dating an officer. She'd been pretty adamant she'd never be an officer's wife after her mother's death, and here she was working on a secret project with the Air Force and spending her nights with a general. Sam was afraid her dad would have a few choice words to say about this scenario.

"Dad, Jack and I are dating," Sam finally admitted.

"Dating your boss, Sam? I raised you to be smarter than that." Jacob shook his head and turned to Jack, "and, you, what kind of a general dates his subordinate?"

"Sir," Jack began, "I'm not her boss. She's not military. Technically she reports to the head of our science department, and her supervisor is aware of our situation. It's all on the up and up, I promise."

"Yeah, still not impressed," Jacob said raising his eyebrows. "You do realize my daughter is more than just some trophy for your arm, don't you? She could be doing something really important. She is a genius, you know. Sam could have followed her childhood dream all the way to NASA if she had just joined the air Force, yet she hangs out in a dingy basement looking at what? Star charts. Sam, it's not too late. I could make some calls, pull a few strings. You could do better."

Sam was mad. She knew full well he wasn't just referring to her career choice with his last comment, and how dare he bring up NASA again? If he only knew exactly what she did under that mountain, he'd realize she had a much better opportunity to see the stars than she'd ever have with NASA. "Dad, enough."

"I'm almost finished Sam. I just have one more question. What are your intentions with my daughter, General O'Neill?"

"Well, I," Jack stammered, "I care for her very deeply."

"You love her? And, do you plan to make a commitment to her or are you just planning on letting her be the talk of your base, because I know how these things work. People talk. If this is just a fling, you need to get away from my daughter."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir. I love her. As far as my intentions, well," Jack said reaching into his coat pocket, "I was just about to express those intentions to your daughter." Sam gasped. In Jack's hand was a ring box with a beautiful princess cut diamond in the center and smaller diamonds on each side. Jack knelt down on one knee. "This wasn't exactly how I planned to do this." He looked at Jacob, "I'm almost afraid to ask for your blessing, but you need to know there is nothing more important to me in the universe than your daughter. Her happiness and her reputation are very important to me. I'd never want to damage her career, and I don't believe our relationship would ever do that."

Jacob nodded. "If you make her happy then maybe I was being a bit harsh. You have my blessing, but if you hurt her, that star won't protect you from the beating of your life."

"Yes, sir," Jack smiled and turned his attention back to Sam. "Samantha Carter, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Sam was dumbfounded. She certainly hadn't expected Jack to propose. There were so many things they hadn't discussed. She'd never even heard him say he loved her until he said it to her dad. Her head was swimming. Of course, she loved Jack. She was crazy in love with him, but marriage was big. She needed to breathe. She needed to think. She probably needed to say something. Jack was still on his knee looking at her, and his smile was beginning to fade. "Jack, I love you. I love you so much it hurts and I do want to marry you someday. I really, really want to be your wife, but-"

Jack stood up and closed the box. "But I jumped the gun. We haven't been together long. I get it," Jack frowned and put the box in his pocket. Sam knew he didn't understand her need for more time, her need to be completely sure they had what it took to build a happy marriage. This was a mess.

"I really, really love you. I just need more time with things the way they are before we change things that much. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I get it," he answered, but Sam could tell he didn't get it at all and she wasn't sure she understood her insecurity either. "Well, General Carter," he said turning to her father, "I hope your mind is at least eased where my intentions are concerned. Why don't I go get us another drink? I'll be right back."

Once Jack was out of ear shot, Jacob turned to his daughter. "What was that about? Are you the one playing around here, Sam?"

"I'm not playing, dad. I love him. I just didn't expect the proposal. It took me by surprise. I just need to think."

"Sam, what's this really about? Is the issue Jack or is it me? Are you afraid he'll make the same mistakes I made with your mother and put the job first? Because, I sincerely doubt there's anything so important about deep space telemetry that would cause him to feel his responsibilities at the office were more important than you. I know you enjoy your science there, but it's barely a military installation. Unless you find some asteroid headed for Earth fifty or a hundred years from now, I just can't see him being that busy."

"Dad! What we are doing at Cheyenne Mountain is extremely important and Jack stays very busy. He's an incredible leader. Don't make light of his job. He is a general." If her dad had any clue just what they did on a daily basis, he'd be showing a lot more respect for Jack, but it was classified

"I'm sorry. Look, I was only trying to help. Why don't you and Jack meet me for breakfast tomorrow. I'll play nice. We can get to know each other. I really do just want you to be happy, Sammy."

Sam smiled a weak smile. "Sounds good, Dad. Just don't berate the base. Jack's doing an amazing job and he is highly respected at the mountain. I'm really proud of him, and I do want to marry him someday."

"Well, Sam, I'd suggest you two have a long talk tonight. He didn't expect a no."

"I didn't say no, Dad. It was more of a not yet."

"Trust me, he heard no and he's hurting. If you love him, figure out why you couldn't give him that yes and tell him your reason. Otherwise, I'm not sure you'll have him to love much longer. Men are really pretty insecure. If he's what you want, fix this quickly."

Sam nodded. Jacob kissed her on the cheek. "You look beautiful tonight. I'm glad you took after your mother. I see her every time you smile. Apologize to Jack for me. I'll see you tomorrow. You need to be alone and talk this out now."


	18. Chapter 18

Major thanks to SAM. n. JACK ALWAYS for kindly being my beta on this chapter. Now, you won't have to deal with my mistakes. I hope you enjoy the chapter. With the holiday weekend, I have been a little busy, so I can't post daily.

* * *

Jack was quiet as they drove back to their hotel. Sam knew her dad was right. She was going to have to talk to him tonight. She just didn't know exactly what to say. They'd only been dating a few months, and Sam was careful. She didn't like to rush things, but she didn't want to lose Jack. Why couldn't he have just waited a little longer? Why didn't he give her a little warning or at least tell her he loved her before tonight? It wasn't that she didn't know how he felt about her. She knew every time he kissed her that he loved her deeply, and she had no doubts about her own feelings for him. Marriage was just big.

Maybe her dad was right. Would she have needed more time if Jack weren't an officer in the Air Force? She'd always wanted to follow in her dad's footsteps until her mom's accident. Sam was so angry with him for forgetting to pick her mom up that day, so angry that he'd let his job get in the way, and so angry that she didn't have her mom anymore. He was different after the accident. He became more and more focused on work, and Sam changed her plans for the future. He had been so angry when she turned down the Air Force Academy, and Sam had secretly been pleased it bothered him so much. She had never dated military men before Jack. If it weren't for Catherine recruiting her for the Stargate program, she'd have never even considered working on an Air Force base. Now, here she was in a job she loved with a man she loved, and it was hard to rationalize just what that meant to the girl who lost her mother.

They entered the hotel room, and Sam kicked off her heels. Jack was quickly untying his tie, but he was still silent. "I think we need to talk," she said softly.

"Nothing to talk about, Sam. I just rushed things. My fault, not yours. Let's get some sleep. Breakfast with your dad will probably require me to be well-rested."

"Jack, just let me explain, please. I love you, but you'd never even said those words to me before tonight. Marriage is a serious commitment. I don't want to make a mistake and cost us what we have right now. I love you too much to risk making the wrong move at the wrong time."

"Like I said, my fault. I get it. Let's drop it and get some rest."

"No. You need to listen to me. If we don't talk then we aren't going to be okay, and I can't live with the thought of losing you."

"Me either, Sam. That's why I proposed. I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

"I want that, too. I think I know what held me back earlier. It was my dad, well, it was sort of my dad." Sam stopped talking for a moment. Could she even explain her irrational fears to Jack and make sense? This wasn't science. She could rattle on about scientific theory for hours. Emotions were never her strong suit. "I've told you about my mom's accident, and Dad mentioned my plans to be part of NASA. Those plans changed after Mom died. I blamed Dad. I blamed the Air Force. I vowed I wouldn't join up. I also vowed I wouldn't marry a soldier, then you came along. You and the Stargate changed everything, and I was happy. No, I am happy. I just saw Dad standing there and I guess I panicked. I didn't realize the reason I couldn't say yes until Dad pointed it out but you deserve to know."

"Do you want me to retire? Because I can if that's what you want," Jack said as he wrapped his arm around her. "Nothing is more important to me than you."

"Absolutely not! The fate of the universe is definitely more important than my misplaced anxiety. The program needs you."

"Any monkey in a suit could do my job. I need you."

"Don't sell yourself short. There's nobody more qualified to run the program than you, Jack. And, I need you, too. I really do love you."

Jack kissed her gently. "I love you, too. We'll be okay. Nothing has to change."

"I think you're wrong. It has changed. I think I want more of a commitment, Jack. I'm not ready for the ring, but what if I gave up my house. The lease is about up."

Jack smiled. "Now, that's a change I could handle." Sam smiled and kissed Jack again. This conversation was over for now. They'd take things a little slower, but they were moving towards the same goal. They'd be okay.

Breakfast with her dad went much better than the initial meeting. Sam and Jack thoroughly enjoyed the rest of their time in D.C., and Sam moved the rest of her belongings into Jack's house shortly after they got back to Colorado. Soon, they were contentedly cohabiting and Sam loved every minute. The only real issue they faced was that Jack was a dog person, and Sam's cat seemed to sense it. He wouldn't let Jack near him, and he really wasn't fond of having Jack near Sam either. But, they worked around the cat's issues and found their groove as a couple. Sam didn't work nearly as late as she'd worked previously, because the couple usually rode to the base together. Jack had been married, so he kind of understood compromise. And, Sam had lived alone with her dad and Mark, so she was very aware of the little things she was going to have to put up with living with Jack.

All in all, living together was domestic bliss, and things on base were going pretty well, too. They'd made a few allies and survived a few run-ins run ins with Jaffa. Sam hadn't personally been on many missions, but she did get off-world occasionally and they constantly brought her new toys to study. Life was good.

Sam and Catherine were in the lab studying an artifact from SG5's travels that might possibly be some type of power source when one of the SFs entered the lab. He had a goofy grin on his face as he spoke. "Dr. Langford, Dr. Carter, we have a special guest. General O'Neill requests you meet him in the briefing room."

"On our way," Catherine said with a nod, and the two women walked to the briefing room. When they arrived, they saw an attractive woman in Egyptian garb standing very close to Jack. He seemed absolutely entranced by every word she said. Sam was not happy. There was definitely flirting going on and she vowed to have a little talk with Jack as soon as they were alone.

"Ladies, you made it," Jack said with a smile. "We have a visitor. This is Hathor. She says she can help us defeat the Goa'uld. Isn't that great news?"

Hathor looked at the shocked looks on Sam and Catherine's faces. "We are pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Excuse me, did she just say 'we', General O'Neill?" Dr. Langford asked.

"Yes, Ms. Hathor is a Goa'uld, but don't worry. She's one of the good ones. She's really grateful to us for killing Ra," Jack bragged.

Sam looked at Jack in shock. What was going on? Didn't he understand the risk of having a Goa'uld free on the base? Something was very wrong here. "General O'Neill, a word in the hallway, please."

"Oh, Carter, whatever you have to say, you can say in front of Hathor. She's our best ally, and she's just lovely. I think you two are going to get along just great." Sam sighed and looked around the room. Even Phillips seemed to be hanging on Hathor's every word. Only Catherine and herself seemed to have any doubts about this stranger. This was not a good scenario. She only hoped she could get to the bottom of things before Earth was in jeopardy.


	19. Chapter 19

Sam was not a happy camper. Not only was Jack completely taken with Hathor, every man on base seemed to be under her spell. It was definitely disturbing.

Sam, Catherine, and Dana locked themselves away in Dana's office. They needed to learn as much about Hathor from mythology as quickly as possible.

"This is interesting," Sam said softly. "According to various scholars, the fertility goddesses of several different ancient cultures are thought to be the same goddess. She was Hathor in Egyptian mythology, Aphrodite in Greek, and Ishtar in Babylonian culture. And, apparently, she was able to control men with her beauty. We have to get our men out of her control now."

"That's probably easier said than done, Sam," Dana countered. "I'm not even sure it's possible, and if there is a way, it could take years to figure out how to do it."

"We probably don't even have days," Sam complained. "Whatever she's planning will be over before we can even scratch the surface on the research."

"I suggest we take some kind of action before she has time to make her next move," Catherine grimaced.

"Yeah, we are going to have to neutralize the threat," Sam frowned.

Soon enough, Sam, Dana, Catherine, and a few of the other women on base started making their way through the hallways with P90s in hand. They hadn't gotten far when they found poor Captain Philips sitting stiffly in the guest quarters assigned to Hathor. He was practically catatonic, so they opted to just leave him there. It was pretty obvious to Sam that Phillips had definitely had some sort of sexual relations with Hathor, but she really didn't want to dwell much on that particular fact. All she wanted to do was neutralize Hathor and get Jack out of her grasp, preferably before Hathor had her way with him.

They were almost to the locker room when they ran into some of the SFs and landed in a firefight. If they hadn't been so concerned about not hurting their own men, Sam was sure they could have overtaken them. But, they weren't willing to kill their guys **,** so soon enough the women were in lockup.

"We need a new plan," Catherine said as she plopped onto the bunk.

"A plan that doesn't involve killing our own men," Sam amended. "These guys aren't thinking clearly. It's not their fault. It's like Hathor has them under a spell."

"Hmm, that gives me an idea," Dana suggested. "I mean, if whatever she's doing is affecting their hormones then I'm betting they are pretty libidinous. What if we use that to our advantage?"

Sam blushed, "you can't be suggesting what I think your suggesting!"

"It makes sense. We can't do anything from in here, and you do have a bit of an in with the general. We should take advantage of all of our options."

Sam rolled her eyes. She was a scientist, not a call girl. This was crazy. Of course, this situation was anything but normal. The ladies huddled together and started planning.

Sam went to the door. "Airmen, I really need to speak to General O'Neill. Can you get him here for me."

"The general gave us strict orders not to disturb him when he had you locked up. Besides, he's busy with Hathor at the moment, ma'am, and I don't think he's very happy with you at the moment," one of the men informed her. Sam grimaced. If he was as bust with Hathor as Phillips had been a few hours earlier then they were all in deep trouble.

Dana took over. "Boys, do we look dangerous to you? If you could get General O'Neill for us, we would be very, very grateful. We'd be so grateful we would probably give you a big reward," she said huskily making Sam blush again. Dana really knew how to push their buttons.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell him you'd like to talk to him. No promises but I'll do my best," the airmen said with a smile, "and, I'll look forward to that reward."

"That's all I'm asking, handsome," Dana grinned.

After almost twenty minutes of waiting, Jack was standing at the door. "What do you want, Sam? I've been working double time trying to undo the damage you ladies caused with our new ally."

"Jack, I'm really sorry about all of this mess. I just had to see you. If you could just come in here and let me apologize properly, we can work this out together," Sam grinned, "then maybe I could help you undo some of that damage with our new friend. It's so lonely in here without you. You know how I hate it when we fight. Come in here and let me make it up to you."

Jack's eyes clouded over. Sam was quite certain her words were having the desired affect on him. Soon, he and the two SFs were inside the door. Sam immediately gave Jack a passionate kiss, while Dana and one of the other women kissed the SFs. Catherine snuck up behind Jack and hit him over the head with a lamp while the other women took out the SFs.

Dana checked Jack's pulse. "He'll be fine. I'll patch him up later."

Sam placed a kiss on his cheek before tying him to the SFs. "Let's get this over with, ladies."

Equipped with their guns once again, Sam and the others found Hathor in the locker room hot tub. She was surrounded by Goa'uld larva, and Sam's suspicions about what had happened with Phillips were quickly confirmed. Thankfully, Hathor was alone since they had managed to overtake the guards outside the door. They opened fire and the hot tub burst into flames. Unfortunately, Hathor got away.

"Unscheduled off-world activation. Unscheduled off-world activation," could be heard across the loud speaker, and Sam and Catherine rushed to the control room right on time to watch Hathor flee through the Stargate. Sam sighed. She knew they hadn't seen the last of Hathor, and she really dreaded untying Jack. This was going to be a very interesting debrief.

The tone around the briefing table was very somber. The men had very little recollection of their time under Hathor's influence. "Ladies, you did good. If you hadn't kept your head, Earth would have been in a lot of trouble," Jack said with a frown. "You are all dismissed."

Sam stuck around the briefing room until she and Jack were alone. "Are you okay, Jack?"

"Well, that depends. My head is killing me, but it'll heal. Are we okay? I'm not even sure how to apologize, Sam. You have every right to be angry."

Sam laughed. "I'm not angry, Jack. You were definitely under alien influence."

"And, you saved me. Thank you."

"Well, I guess we are even now. Are you ready to go home?"

"Very ready," Jack sighed. "You're sure you aren't even a little mad? I mean, I didn't listen to you. I had you locked up **,** for crying out loud. You should really be angry."

"Would it make you feel better if I didn't speak to you for a week or two?"

"Well, no, of course not."

"Good, because planning a wedding is really tricky when you aren't speaking to your fiancé," Sam grinned, placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Fiancé? Wedding? Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Jack looked puzzled. "Are you ready to take that next step?"

"If the offer is still on the table, I'd very much like to be your wife, Jack."

Jack pulled her into a deep kiss. "That offer is most definitely still on the table, Sam. But, why now?"

"We could have lost the planet today. Life is short. I just realized I want to be your wife, and I don't want to wait any longer. Our job is dangerous. We might not get off this easy next time. I love you."

"I love you, too. Let's go home."

* * *

We will be going AU in the next chapter. I really did intend to just make this about the Jack and Sam from There but for the Grace of God, but I can't make myself stay completely cannon. Big thanks to SAM. N. JACK ALWAYS for being willing to beta again.


	20. Chapter 20

**I'll start with a huge apology. Originally, I had planned on ending this story at chapter 19, but so many of you kind readers wanted it to continue that I agreed then I dropped the ball big time. I promise it was not intentional. I had a plan for moving forward, but it just didn't work out when I actually started writing it. This is the new plan (technically, it's the 2** **nd** **new plan actually), and it still feels a little rough to me but it solved some of the bigger issues I couldn't get around. I hope you'll forgive the long delay and enjoy these final few chapters of the story. If my muse will be kind, it should be finished very, very soon. This chapter is a little short, but it sets up the next and final adventure for our heroes (well, in this story at least). No beta because you have had to wait long enough for me to get this to you.**

Being engaged to Jack actually made Sam feel a confidence she'd never felt. She loved him more than she ever thought possible, and things really hadn't changed as much at the mountain as she had expected. He continued to treat her the same at the base, and Sam truly appreciated his ability to compartmentalize. They hadn't set a date yet, but they were making plans slowly. Life was good, really good. They'd even decided to try and had on to their family. Of course, Jack insisted on waiting until after the wedding out of respect for her father, but it was still big. Sam hadn't really expected Jack to consider children again after Charlie, but it was his idea. He seemed genuinely excited about the future. He had come so far since their trip to Abydos.

"Sam," Catherine said with as a smile as she entered the lab, "the general wants to see you in the briefing room. SG5 has found something interesting."

Sam smiled and nodded then followed Catherine to the briefing room. Jack was in a pretty heated discussion with Colonel Steele when she arrived. "What do you mean you lost Baxter? How is that even possible?"

"I'm telling you general, one minute he was looking in this mirror doing his Johnny Cash impression and the next he was gone. That's it. I looked away for less than a second. We searched for him for hours, general."

"Johnny Cash! You have got to be kidding me. We lost our man and all you can do is go on about Johnny Cash. We have a policy in this command, soldier. We leave no man behind."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I really think it has something to do with that mirror. We need a science team," Steele pleaded.

"So you've said repeatedly," Jack grimaced then looked at Sam, "how soon can you ladies be ready to join what's left of SG11 for a mission?"

"Fifteen minutes," Sam replied.

"Go."

The team had barely disembarked from the bank when they found a wounded Captain Baxter almost crawling across the floor toward the gate. Sam and Catherine rushed to him and kneeled beside him. He was bleeding from what appeared to be multiple staff wounds to his chest, and the way he'd been crawling indicated multiple fractured bones in his legs. His forehead had an open gash that Catherine had immediately tried to cover with her scarf, but the scariest moment was yet to come. "They're coming. We don't have much time," Baxter whispered before losing consciousness.

Sam looked up at Colonel Steele with a sigh, "he's alive, but I'm not sure how long that will last if we don't get him to the infirmary."

Steele nodded and they quickly picked up their injured friend and started for home.

Sam's pulse was racing as she followed the medical team to the infirmary. Who was coming? What had Baxter seen that upset him so badly? They needed answers quickly and it didn't look like they were going to be getting any from the wounded man for awhile. Jack was following closely behind her listening to Catherine's retelling of Baxter's last words.

"I need to go back to the planet," She nearly whispered then turning to Jack, "we have to go back."

"Absolutely not. I can't endanger anyone else until Baxter wakes up and tells us what happened."

"General, he might not wake up. We need to know," Sam argued.

"She's not wrong, general," Catherine agreed.

"Briefing room now," Jack growled.

Once they were seated in the briefing room, Sam attempted a smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes. "Whatever happened to the colonel really rattled him, sir. SG1 said it was a lab. We didn't see any hostile in the area. I need a closer look at that mirror. I know it's a risk, but if Baxter was right and someone is coming then we need answers."

"I agree with Dr. Carter," Steele said standing. "My friend is in the infirmary and I need to know why, sir. Permission to return to the planet?"

Jack sighed, "No, you are staying here. The base is Colonel Hammond's until I return. I'll take Carter and some marines. Catherine, I need you to talk to Baxter as soon as he's awake." Jack paused, "don't make me regret this."

"It's the right call, general," Sam said with authority.

"Hit the mess then stock up on any tools you think you'll need. We leave out at 1800 hours, and we won't come back without answers. If you'll all excuse me, I need to call the president."

Sam watched Jack run his fingers through his hair as he exited the briefing room. He was most definitely worried. She was concerned, too, but knowing he was personally going on this mission told her everything she needed to know. This was bad, and he didn't trust anyone but himself on this mission. Well, he obviously trusted her or at least was willing to acknowledge he needed her expertise, but his gut must be churning with the same fear as hers. Whatever Baxter saw had the potential to destroy everything.

Sam quickly prepared for the mission then went to find Jack. He was in his office, still staring at the red phone. "Hey," She said softly.

"Hey, yourself," he said giving her a quick kiss. "Any word on Baxter" Sam shook her head. "Awe, well, I guess the mission is still a go."

"What did the president say?" Sam asked.

"He thinks I should let SG1 handle this and get back to my stack of paperwork. I respectfully disagreed," Jack paused and looked into Sam's eyes, "I'm sorry I have to take you on this one. Something feels really off and I would much rather have you far away from that planet, but-"

"You wouldn't be doing your job if you didn't take me, and I'd have to kick your butt."

"Well, there's that," Jack smirked. "It's never easy sending people into danger."

"It's your job. Why are you going, Jack? Going isn't exactly your job anymore."

"Protecting Earth and the people of this base is my job. This isn't me taking on a suicide mission, Sam. I have every intention of both of us surviving. I just trust me watching your back on this one more than I trust anyone else, and it's not because I love you. I'd do the same thing if Catherine or one of the other scientists were going. Whatever happened to Hammond is big. I can feel it."

Sam nodded, and Jack took her into his arms. "I love you," she whispered.

""I love you, too," he mumbled into her hair. "We've got this."

They didn't have much time before they needed to meet the others in the embarkation room, but they stole the precious minutes they had just enjoying each other's arms. Too quickly, they had to separate and join the rest of the team. Neither of them fully understood how much danger they were in yet, but they were smart enough and experienced enough to realize another moment like this was never guaranteed.


	21. Chapter 21

After securing the perimeter and leaving the marines holding the gate, Jack and Sam followed the trail of Baxter's blood into the room containing the mirror. Jack kept his p90 in his hands as Sam dropped her pack and started investigating the mirror.

"The blood literally stops right here," Sam said pointing to the mirror. Jack merely nodded. He felt that uneasy feeling again as Sam walked all the way around the mirror a few times. He usually enjoyed watching her when she worked, but this time around, he had to continuously bite his tongue to keep from telling her to just get away from that mirror and forget what Baxter said. "I just don't understand why we aren't seeing our reflection. It looks like a standard mirror. Everything else in the room appears to be an exact duplicate of this room. We just aren't present. Did SG11 mention the lack of reflection?"

"No, and you can bet we'll be discussing that in the debrief," Jack tried to joke.

"I'm sure," Sam grinned. She moved to the workspace in front of the mirror and picked up one doodad after another. She'd examine each one then move on to the next. Finally she picked up something that Jack could tell actually had her interest. He could hear the wheels spinning in that beautiful brain of hers. "This looks like some kind of remote control," she said, but Jack realized she was speaking mostly to herself. She picked up the control and examined it a moment before pushing one button then another. All the while, her eyes never left the mirror. "Wait, do you see that?" Sam shouted.

Jack saw it alright. Instead of seeing the room empty, they saw a man in what appeared to be an SG uniform, a man who most definitely did not have a regulation haircut, running out the doorway. He was just about to yell at Sam to get away from the mirror when she reached out and touched the mirror's surface. She vanished. No, that wasn't exactly true. She was now looking back at him from the inside of the mirror. Without a second thought, Jack lunged for the mirror and found himself standing right beside Sam.

"What just happened?" Jack asked. "You were-"

"And, now we both are on the other side of the mirror," Sam finished. "Look, no blood."

Jack looked at the floor in front of them. She was right. Baxter's blood was gone. "We need to chase down that man," Jack said, grabbing Sam's hand and heading for the doorway.

Upon entering the main room, Jack saw a sight he couldn't have prepared for in a thousand years. The room was crawling with familiar and not so familiar SGC members. A man who looked very much like himself, a woman who looked like Sam, and a jaffa were kneeling beside the man they'd been chasing. "Jack," Sam whispered as a few marines pointed guns in their direction, "I think I know why they couldn't find Captain Baxter. I believe we are in an alternate reality."

Jack didn't have time to respond before the man who looked like him arrived. Both Jacks had their p90s pointing in the others direction. "What is going on here? Who are you?"

"I could ask you the same question," Jack replied, "Jack O'Neill, United States Air force, Earth" he added more out of irritation than a need to convey any real information.

The shaggy headed man stood up. "Jack, I don't think he's lying. That mirror took me to another reality. I met another you, another SGC. Jack, I think we should put the guns down and talk."

The other Sam looked at her Jack, "Sir?"

Sam nodded, "Jack, we came for answers."

Jack lowered his weapon. The others lowered their own. The man addressed the other Jack again. "I've seen things, Jack. They're coming."

"That's what Captain Baxter said before he lost consciousness, Jack," Sam whispered.

"Daniel," the other Jack warned.

"Jack, trust me."

"Fine, but we aren't taking them back to the SGC. Let's hear what you have to say and get out of here. This is getting a little too weird, even for us."

Jack noticed his Sam and the other Sam exchanging a knowing smile, and he had to admit this guy with his face had just said exactly what he was thinking. This was beyond weird. They dismissed most of the soldiers who had obviously been on their own search and rescue mission and found a place to sit down. The poor guy, Daniel they'd called him, didn't look so good.

"When I touched the mirror, I ended up in an alternate reality. Of course, I didn't find that out until later. You guys were nowhere to be seen, so I gated home. Everything was different. You were the general in charge of the SGC, Jack."

"General?" the other Jack groaned.

"I'm a general," Jack added with a smirk.

"Anyway," Daniel continued, "Catherine was there. I never joined the program. Sam wasn't military. Actually," Daniel paused and looked at the other Jack, "you and Sam were engaged."

"Engaged?" the other Jack questioned.

His Sam replied, "again, sir, it is theoretically possible."

"But, it's against regulations."

Sam smiled. "Not if she wasn't military. I'm not and," she flashed her ring.

"Back to the point," Daniel said with a slightly more frustrated tone, "They had never met Teal'c. He was still First Prime. He was leading the charge against Earth."

"Teal'c?" Jack questioned.

"I am Teal'c of Chulak," the jaffa said with a nod.

Jack raised his eyebrows. The other Jack added, "he's one of us now."

"As I was saying, the people were different, but they'd killed Ra just like us. Jack, Apophis brought ships. He was attacking the planet. He succeeded. Their Earth lost, but they helped me anyway. That's why we needed to share this information with them," he said pointing toward Jack and Sam. "I believe if Apophis was coming after that Earth, it's likely he's coming after us. I would guess their Apophis probably has the same plan. I have an address. This is where we need to go, Jack, and quickly. Earth can't defend itself if the mother ships arrive."

"I think we are going to need a copy of that address," Jack said with a sigh then he looked at Teal'c, "we've never met the you in our reality."

Teal'c nodded. "Perhaps, we should give you the address to Chulak as well, General O'Neill. There are jaffa who no longer wish to serve false gods. They would be good allies."

"You are going to need to befriend Teal'c. The Jack I met on the planet took the address for Chulak from me, but instead of going for help, he sent a nuke. It didn't turn out well. Teal'c's wife and son were on the planet. He killed Jack in retaliation." Both Sams winced. "Sam, um, the other other Sam, killed herself with a grenade while taking out a group of jaffas. Catherine, well, she didn't make it either. Those people gave their lives so my reality would have a chance. I guess, in a way, they saved both of our realities."

"Thank you," Jack said then he looked at Sam, "we need to wrap this up and get back to the mirror. Think you can get us home?"

"It should be as easy as touching it," Daniel offered. "Good luck. We are all going to need it." As, Sam and Jack turned to go, Daniel called to them, "One more thing, Jack, our Jack, convinced Teal'c Earth could help the jaffa. If you want to win him over, you better plan on doing it yourself."

Soon, Jack and Sam were safely on their side of the mirror. They could see Baxter's blood on the floor. Sam's pack was exactly where she'd left it. They could even hear the marines arguing over who was getting the macaroni and cheese MRE. Jack took Sam's hands into his own. "Sam, what's your take on what we just experienced? Joint hallucination or real problem?"

Sam frowned and held up the piece of paper Daniel had given them. "We need to get home. You are going to have to call the president again. Baxter was right. They're coming."


	22. Chapter 22

Things got hectic once Jack and Sam returned through the gate. "Walter, I'm going to need the president on the phone now," Jack growled. "Assemble all available personnel in the embarkation room. We'll brief there as soon as I speak to the president." He turned to Sam and lowered his voice, "find out how Baxter's doing and let Catherine know what we found. She's at least met the Daniel Jackson in this reality. We may need her input."

Sam nodded and took off for the infirmary. She didn't make it quite there before finding Catherine. "Baxter?" she asked.

Catherine shook her head. "He didn't make it."

Sam blanched. Baxter had a family. She dreaded telling Jack he was going to have to inform Baxter's wife that her husband wouldn't be returning home. Of course, if they didn't neutralize this threat, lots of families would lose loved ones. "We know who Baxter was talking about now. Anubis is coming," Sam said softly. "Jack asked me to fill you in before the briefing."

Catherine nodded and followed Sam to the lab. Once the door was closed, Sam told her everything they had learned. "Dr. Jackson may be viewed as a crack pot, but he was right on the money, Sam. I'm sure the Daniel you met was telling the truth. Do you know the general's plan yet?"

"No, but I have a feeling we are all about to find out. We should get to the gate room."

The gate room was full when Sam and Catherine arrived. Jack, with Walter on his heels, arrived at the podium Siler had moved into place just a few minutes earlier. "Alright, people. I'm going to make this quick. I'm sure most of you have heard about Captain Baxter and the message he delivered." Jack paused, "I am sorry to inform you that his warning appears to have merit. Dr. Carter and myself went to investigate and found ourselves in an alternate reality. Dr. Carter," Jack nodded in Sam's direction and she understood he wanted her to explain, so she quickly made her way to his side.

"There is a theory that each decision we make, no matter how seemingly insignificant, creates a parallel or alternate reality. Some may be very similar to our own. Others could be very different. Things that happen in one may or may not occur in another, but General O'Neill and I believe we encountered an alternate reality similar enough to our own to make us draw the conclusion that a similar event could soon occur in our reality."

"That event," Jack said, "could potentially be extinction level. We have the address to the stargate where this attack originated in this other reality. I proposed to the president that we should do something proactive. I am sending a small strike team to this address to evaluate and neutralize any potential threat to Earth. This is a dangerous mission, and I can't guarantee everyone will return so I'm going to do something a little unusual. I need ten volunteers."

Immediately, nearly every member of every represented SG team volunteered. Sam couldn't help the lump that formed in her throat as Jack chose SG1, SG3, and two members of SG2 and gave them their orders. "You leave in two hours, gentlemen. Godspeed." Jack waited for the strike team to leave the gate room then addressed everyone else. "We will also need to prepare for a possible large scale evacuation. SG5, 7, and 9, I need you at the Alpha site. Also, I need the medical staff to split into two teams. One team will leave as soon as possible for the Alpha site and the other need to prepare for possible incoming wounded. Once the SG teams and medical staff are settled, I want engineering, science, and clerical to do the same. Dr. Langford will oversee the evacuations of key personnel to the Alpha site. Any question? You are dismissed."

Sam immediately went to Jack. "I guess it would be pointless to ask you to let me join you and the strike team," she said with a sigh.

"Yes, completely pointless," Jack agreed, "especially, since I'm not joining the strike team, Sam."

"I just assumed-"

"Believe me. I assumed the same thing, but the president disagreed very strongly with that decision. If they fail, it's my job to man this base." Sam nodded. "Of course, I had another plan and the president agreed with it. We should have a little time, well, hopefully we have a little time, before things get bad. I'm going to Chulak. Maybe I can catch Teal'c before he leaves and persuade him to join us. At the very least, I can attempt to bring his family here."

"Are you going alone?"

"No," Jack said with a frown, "you're with me."

Finding Teal'c's home on Chulak wasn't nearly as hard as Sam had expected. It probably didn't hurt that Jacks first order of business was "borrowing" clothes off of someone's clothes line so they could blend in a little better. The robes gave them plenty of room to hide their weapons, and a little charcoal on their foreheads made them look like a couple of unimportant jaffa put for a walk. Being First Prime, meant Teal'c had a nicer home than most of the others and it was near the Stargate. In some ways, it seemed too easy, but Sam understood the hard part was yet to come. They had to convince this stranger to join them, and their only indication that he might consider it came from a completely different reality. This was going to be interesting.

When they arrived, a boy was playing outside with a stick. He was pretending to fight an invisible opponent. Jack walked up to the boy and started a conversation. "You've got some good moves."

"I am my father's son. I must be better so I can be First Prime," the boy said, never bothering to stop his attack.

"You're father is Teal'c, yes?"

"First Prime of Apophis," the boy said proudly.

"And. Is he home? We would like to have a word with him." The boy node and ran into the house. Soon, Teal'c appeared in the doorway. "Teal'c, I think we need to talk."

Teal'c looked Jack up and down. "I do not recognize you. What is your purpose here? Speak quickly. I am leaving."

"You are going to want to stick around a few minutes, T. Our purpose is to give you the chance to save your people," Jack said.

Teal'c raised his staff and aimed it at Jack. "You speak as a shol'va."

"Shol'va," Jack repeated. "And, I'm guessing that would be bad."

"You wear the mark of Apophis, but you do not know your place. You do not speak as one of us."

"Oh, is that it? Yeah, well, there's a good reason for that, Teal'c. I'm not from around here. I'm from Earth. My name is General Jack O'Neill. Does that name ring a bell with you?"

Teal'c kept his staff weapon on Jack. "State your purpose before I kill you."

"it's kind of a long story and some of it might be a bit hard to believe. Maybe we could move this inside." Teal'c nodded.

Sam wasn't sure Jack had made the right call when he started telling Teal'c about the alternate Teal'c. The jaffa's face was unread. Jack didn't mention the coming invasion, and Sam was grateful. There was no reason to give Teal'c any ideas. Finally, Jack said, "the way I see it, you probably feel like the other you. You'd like to see your people free." He motioned towards the door and continued, "do you really want your son to serve as First Prime to a false god when he grows up? That's what he's out there practicing for, you know." Sam could see the change in Teal'c's countenance. Jack was getting to him.

"Even if I believed you, how do I know you could help?"

"You know what we did to Ra. We've been up against others, too. Hathor ring a bell?" Teal'c nodded. "We are still standing. We're building alliances. We can win." There were noises outside. Sam could hear them calling for more forces at the gate. They were talking about an attack. Jack smiled at Sam then looked back at Teal'c. "We even know the address where the attack your boss is planning is originating, and I'd be willing to bet my life my men are winning. That's what they are shouting about, you know."

"I was on my way to join Apophis. Why did you stop me?"

"Because we need each other. Together, we can free your people and keep mine safe."

On cue, a jaffa warrior ram into the room. "They have attacked the ships. We must go to our god and fight."

Teal'c nodded. "I'm coming." The warrior left. Teal'c looked at Jack. "Did you bring weapons?" Jack nodded and showed his p90. "I believe you GeneralJackO'Neill. Follow my lead."

"We need to take your family with us," Jack said. "They won't be safe here if you join us."

"Stay out of sight until I call for you," Teal'c commanded.

Soon, they were near the gate but out of view. Teal'c addressed the jaffa who were waiting to assist Apophis on the ship. "Jaffa Kree! I have instructions from Apophis. He has foreseen this attack and his victory. You are not to enter the chapa'ai until after the sun rises tomorrow. It is his order. Apophis has declared it and he is our god. Return to your homes."

Everyone bowed and retreated to their homes. "You did the right thing," Jack assured him.

"You will keep your word, O'Neill?"

"We can help you."

"Many have said that. You are the first I have believed," Teal'c said with a nod. Once the gate was cleared, Sam dialed home and Teal'c, Drey'auc, and Rya'c followed closely behind.

On the other side of the gate, Sam took Jack aside. "Do you think our strike team is succeeding?"

"I don't know, but Teal'c managed to prevent reinforcements from coming from Chulak. That's something anyway. Let's get our guests settled and wait it out."


	23. Chapter 23

"Incoming wormhole, SG3's IDC, sir."

"Open the iris, Walter," Jack ordered. "Get the med team to the gate room. Tell Dr. Wright to expect multiple injuries."

Soon six of the ten man team were sitting in the briefing room in front of Jack. It was a long debrief, but Jack finally had the facts he needed. He dismissed his men and just sat in silence. They'd lost three and another was seriously wounded. Jack sighed. All of the confirmed dead were from his premier team, and Hammond was fighting for his life. Ferretti had been his friend for a long time. Their kids had played baseball together. Jack had gotten pretty close to Farmer and Phillips, too. The mission may have saved earth, but it completely destroyed SG1. This was going to be hard. Again, Jack wished he'd been with the strike team. Maybe things would have gone differently. Of course, being "the man" meant sending others into danger. It was his job now, and suddenly he hated it.

"Everyone you sent to the Alpha site have returned to base," Sam said softly as she entered the briefing room.

"Any word on Hammond?"

"Dana is with him now," Sam paused, "I'm going to miss them. I can't believe we lost most of SG1."

"Me either. I knew it was dangerous, but I guess I didn't let myself see this as a real possibility," Jack frowned.

"How did it happen?"

"Farmer was trying to jam their communications. The rest of SG1 was covering him. He succeeded, but they came under heavy fire before they made it back to the others. We are lucky even Hammond survived. If SG3 hadn't run across him, he'd be dead by now. Blown to bits just like Apophis's ship."

Sam nodded and put her hand on Jack's. "Your presence wouldn't have stopped people from dying. That's what you're thinking, isn't it?" Jack nodded slightly. "They knew the risk. Ferretti, Farmer, Phillips, and Hammond all volunteered for this mission. They knew the risks every time they went through the gate, but they still did it. They were willing to die if it meant billions might be saved. Isn't that the way you felt when we were on Abydos?"

"You know the answer to that, Sam," Jack whispered, "but I had nothing to live for when we went to Abydos. They all had lives. Good lives. Futures."

"And, you have a life and a future, too, but, I know you Jack O'Neill. f you weren't in charge of this base, you'd have gone. You probably would have died just like them or you'd be in the infirmary like Hammond. This wasn't about you choosing your life over theirs. You had to do your job. You had to protect the base. Only you could have convinced Teal'c to join us, and if reinforcements had arrived from Chulak, we might have lost all of them and the planet. You can't blame yourself."

Jack stood and pulled Sam into his embrace. He held her for a long time. He would not go back into the deep depression he'd felt after Charlie. He would honor these heroes and do his job. He looked at Sam. She had saved him again. Her love and strength were what he needed and she gave it willingly. "Come on, let's go talk to Dana. Maybe she can give us an update on Hammond."

The next few weeks were very somber on base. Hammond was recovering nicely, but it would take time. Jack knew the soldier had considered retiring, and he couldn't really blame the man. Losing his entire team on one mission was an awfully big blow. In the end, the lure of the gate won and Hammond decided to stay. SG1's missions were divided among the other teams while he recovered.

Teal'c was antsy to get into the fight, and Jack eventually got the go ahead from the president to assign him to SG1. Of course, two men were hardly enough for the premier team, especially with one of them injured, so Teal'c spent time with his family. It had taken some talking, but Jack managed to find Drey'auc and Rya'c shelter with their allies. Teal'c would need to live on base, but he could visit frequently and rest easy knowing his family would be safe.

One thing was still really bothering Jack. The Daniel Jackson he'd met in the alternate reality had seemed to know what he was doing. Jack could tell his other self really trusted him. That SG1, so different from his own, seemed right somehow. Jack decided to bring up his thoughts to Catherine.

"You wanted to see me, general?" Catherine said upon entering his office.

"Yes, sit down please." Jack waited for her to take her seat before continuing, "I know you tried to recruit Dr. Jackson a few years ago and he refused."

"Quite rudely," Catherine laughed, "but I have a feeling you're about to ask me to try again."

Jack frowned. "Do you think it would be a mistake?"

"No," Catherine said, "I think if we could convince him to join us, he'd be an enormous asset." She paused, "he's definitely not military."

"Neither was Farmer by the time he joined SG1. Harrison has never served in the military, and Teal'c isn't exactly up on Air force customs either," Jack acknowledged.

"Why do I get the feeling you are considering Dr. Jackson for SG1?" Catherine laughed.

"Because I think I am," Jack said with a shrug. "I just can't get the his alternate out of my head, Catherine. I think Daniel is supposed to be here. I think we need him."

"He'd need training."

"Lots of it," Jack agreed.

"You have other options," Catherine offered, "but none of them seem right, do they?" Jack shook his head. "You would still need a scientist. Who feels right for that position?" Jack didn't answer. He just let out a sigh and fiddled with the pencil in his hand. "That's what I thought. She'd love it, you know."

"Yeah, I know," he paused, "we've been talking about starting a family soon."

"And having her on SG1 might delay that, is that what your thinking?"

"Well, among other things," Jack said sheepishly, "it's dangerous."

"True," Catherine admitted. Jack frowned. He knew he had just made his decision.

 **6 Months Later**

"SG1, Godspeed," Jack called from the control room. Colonel Hammond, Teal'c of Chulak, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and Dr. Samantha Carter turned to enter the gate. "Oh, and Carter," Jack added, " don't be late. We have flowers to pick. Weddings do not plan themselves."

Sam turned and smiled a megawatt smile. "I wouldn't dream of it, sir."

Jack smiled back. He loved his life.

 **And they lived happily ever after (at least until the next intergalactic crisis).**

 **The End.**


End file.
